Quest for Freedom
by Monkeys-Are-Dangerous-Reptiles
Summary: The war against Voldemort has raged for thirty years and now two rebellions factions merge to fight him. A legend is reborn and a terrible truth is learned about a night many years ago...
1. Chapter 1

**QUEST FOR FREEDOM**

* * *

_By Fire_

* * *

**Prologue **

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_"You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word:_

_It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all_

_terror, victory, however long and hard the road may_

_be; for without victory, there is no survival."_

_Winston Churchill_

* * *

It was an ordinary night. There was an autumnal chill in the air, and a carpet of brown leaves on the ground, which you might expect since the time was just before midnight on October thirty-first. A tabby cat with curious markings around the eyes was sitting rather stiffly, on a brick wall which separated the driveways of two houses marked Number Four and Number Five. It was an ordinary street in an ordinary suburban neighbourhood, filled with row after row of box-like houses with perfect square lawns, back and front. Nobody could have ever imagined that anything extraordinary could occur here, and yet that unexpected, extraordinary event was about to occur. 

A tall old man appeared, seemingly out of thin air, on the street corner, and suddenly all the lights seemed to vanish from their homes behind the glass of the street-lamps. The old man, now just a dark blur, approached the house called Number Four. Without warning the tabby cat disappeared and in its place was another dark blur. This dark blur took the shape of a stern looking woman, who appeared to be deep in a whispered conversation with the old man.

A few minutes later, a roar was heard in the skies, and a bright headlamp lit the way of a motorcycle flying above the roofs of the houses to make a fairly smooth landing in the street in front of the man and woman. An enormous man climbed off the motorcycle. He was at least twice the height of an ordinary man, and he had hands the size of dustbin lids. He was carrying what appeared to be a bundle of blankets, which he handed gently to the old man. The woman bowed her head to look at the blankets, before the old man walked slowly up to the doorstep of Number Four. Slowly and carefully he placed the bundle on the doorstep. The bundle contained more than blankets, though. It was a baby. The baby had a nasty cut on its forehead shaped like a lightning bolt, yet it seemed to be sleeping quite peacefully. The old man bent down and placed an envelope on top of the blankets. Green curly writing on the envelope read:

_Mr and Mrs V Dursley_

The old man stepped back, and the three adults stared sadly at the baby for a moment before turning and leaving in separate directions. As the giant man rode down the street on his motorcycle the road sign was briefly illuminated, giving a name to the street where these events had taken place.

An ordinary street, in an ordinary neighbourhood, on an ordinary autumn night had just witnessed something extraordinary. Certainly, tomorrow, something would be different in Privet Drive.

* * *

The sign above the gate read _Little Hangleton Cemetery_ and -- as should be expected of a cemetery -- it was usually a peaceful and quiet place, but something was stirring. An eerie glow was lighting the dark sky above the graveyard, and all the usual night creatures had stayed far away. 

Suddenly, two teenage boys, each clutching one handle of a large trophy, crashed to the ground out of the sky, just feet from a huge monument of a grave bearing the name _Riddle_. As they got to their feet, a little man carrying some sort of bundle stood facing them from several metres away. He stretched out his right hand and there was a flash of green light and a rush of wind, and the taller of the two boys crumpled to the crowd. The other seemed to cry out in anger or pain.

Within moments the man had him tied to the Riddle grave, as the boy appeared to have injured his leg. The little man dropped his bundle into a large cauldron full of a simmering and glittering liquid. For the next few minutes he moved about dropping various items into the mixture, and then, a man rose from the cauldron.

And the boy's eyes widened in horror.

* * *

Upon hearing her son's cries, Lily Potter woke her husband and together they rushed from their bedroom into the bedroom occupied by their son, Harry. 

"Harry!" his mother said, approaching his bedside. "Are you alright?"

She sat down on the edge of the bed and proceeded to stroke her son's head.

"I'm fine," said Harry angrily, pushing her hand away. "It was just a dream."

"About Voldemort?" asked his Dad.

"Sort of," said Harry. "First I dreamed about Albus leaving a baby at a house in Privet Drive. You know the one. I've been dreaming it for years. And then I dreamed of Voldemort rising from a cauldron."

"Like a regeneration potion?" asked Lily.

"Yes," said Harry. "But I don't understand. How can Voldemort be regenerated if he's never been dead? I've never had that dream before."

"I think it's about time we told Albus about these dreams," said Harry's father.

"I think you're right, James," said Lily. "Are you sure you're alright, Harry?"

"Mum," said Harry, exasperatedly. "I'm twenty-one years old. I can cope with a bad dream."

"Alright," said Lily. "You've got a meeting with Albus in the morning anyway. Maybe you can mention it to him then."

"I don't think so," said Harry. "He's going away again tomorrow, he's just got to give me my mission first then he's off."

"He's never around much, is he?" said Lily.

"One day he's not going to be here when we really need him," said James. "And then there'll be hell to pay."

"He's got important stuff to do," said Harry, sticking up for his mentor.

"I just wish he'd tell us what he was up to," said Lily.

"He's doing the best thing, Mum," said Harry. "Let's face it. These days no one knows who they can really trust."

"He trusts you," said James.

"He doesn't really have a choice, does he?" said Harry. "Ever since Neville…" Harry paused and touched the fresh cut on his forehead – a cut he'd received battling Voldemort a few days ago alongside Neville. "I'm the one that's supposed to kill Voldemort, so Albus has got to give me as much information as he can if I'm to stand a chance."

"We should try and get some sleep," said Lily.

She stood up and left the room with James following close behind her. And as Harry Potter drifted back of to sleep, somewhere many rooms, corridors and floors away inside the stronghold of Hogwarts Castle, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore awoke from the very same dream…

* * *

A/N Okies. I know this story seems very AU, but stick with it. I don't want to give away the ending but I think you'll enjoy it. Please review, even if all you have to say is a tirade of criticisms, although I hope it's not. I'm hoping to update once a week as I'm well ahead with the writing. Thank you to Bill for the beta read and for clearing up all my very stupid mistakes. Anyway, thanks for reading!

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	2. Flight of the Bumblebee

**QUEST FOR FREEDOM**

* * *

_By Fire_

* * *

**Chapter 1 Flight of the Bumblebee**

* * *

_"The paths of glory lead but to the grave."_

_Thomas Gray_

* * *

"Mornin' Albus," said Harry , entering the Headmaster's office at what was once Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The old man was already wearing his cloak and seemed ready for a long journey.

"Are you close, Albus?" Harry asked.

"I believe so," said Dumbledore.

"Which one?" asked Harry.

"The diary," said Dumbledore. "Although I cannot be certain."

"How long will you be gone?" Harry asked.

"A few weeks," said Dumbledore. "But this is not why I wanted to see you. An urgent matter has arisen which needs your attention."

"An attack?" asked Harry.

"Of sorts," said Dumbledore. "As you know, there are many undiscovered muggle-born wizards and witches hidden in the muggle world, people who, were it not for Voldemort, would have been brought here to learn magic as soon as they were old enough. It is one of these who needs your help. Voldemort has gotten wind of some very powerful accidental magic taking place in this muggle-born's town and he has spent the last few days trying to locate her and kill her."

"She must be powerful for Voldemort to want her dead that badly," said Harry.

"Exactly," said Dumbledore. "Which means that with a little training, she could be very useful to us."

"Where can I find her?" asked Harry.

"You don't," said Dumbledore. "The group in the south have already uncovered her location."

Dumbledore handed Harry an envelope.

"The envelope contains the location of the rendezvous point and the passwords you will need when you liase with the leader of the southern rebels," said Dumbledore. "I trust you will exercise caution. We cannot let Death Eaters infiltrate our forces now."

"Of course," said Harry. "But why are we working with those in the South? We've never joined before. You said yourself it works better to have us in two separate factions."

"True, true," said Dumbledore. "However, you know as well as I do, Harry, that the end of this war is close at hand, and for you to fight Voldemort alone, we need all our forces together to hold off the Death Eaters, to allow you the time and space you need. The time has come to join our forces so we can build a trust between the two groups before the battle commences."

"What if the mission is compromised?" Harry asked.

"Then we will have to give this muggle-born up for lost," said Dumbledore. "As unfortunate as that may be. I don't want to lose any fully trained wizards if I can help it. We need every man we have."

"What happens when the muggle-born is retrieved?" Harry asked.

"Bring the whole group back," said Dumbledore. "I mean you, the muggle-born, the leader of the southern rebels and any other members of that rebellion who helped you. I have had the house-elves prepare rooms for them next to yours in the old staff quarters. This is the first stage of moving our forces to a single base."

"Ok," said Harry.

"I must go now," said Dumbledore. "I expect you to complete training drills this morning before you leave."

Harry chuckled.

"Of course, Albus."

Harry left the room.

* * *

Later, out on the old Quidditch field Harry and his forces were completing their wand drills. These involved dodging curses, firing spells at moving targets and basic duelling practice. It was also the time when they were taught new spells and made up all kinds of useful potions. These were distributed among the ranks to be carried at all times, particularly when missions took them away from the safety of the castle stronghold. Dumbledore had decided many years ago to have his troops trained to fight with muggle weaponry as well as wands. And whilst nobody was sure why, they learned to fight with swords, to throw spears and to wield an axe effectively. From what they had heard, the southern rebels learned archery, and so between them they had quite an accomplished muggle army, although as Lily Potter said, it looked like something out of the Dark Ages.

As the troops were training and practising, Harry walked among them, to see how they were doing and to help them if they needed it. Often during morning drills, Harry's mind slipped back to when he was younger and was being trained to fight. He remembered his friends, the people who he grew up with, the people who had already passed beyond the veil.

Harry and his two best friends had had the run of the castle when they were children. The adults were all outside training, or on missions or fighting in battles, but the children were locked inside the safe walls of the castle, and caused complete havoc. Their parents were at their wits end with what Minerva McGonagall used to refer to as the unruly trio, but they let them continue to run riot so long as they cleaned up after themselves. The parents knew that it was only a matter of time before it would be their children's turn to be called up to fight.

And so, young Harry Potter, Neville Longbottom and Susan Bones were allowed to explore the castle, causing the kind of mayhem that hadn't even been seen when the castle was still a school, or when Peeves the Poltergeist was at his most mischievous. Harry recalled how Dumbledore always found their behaviour hilarious and encouraged them more than scolded them.

They had always been aware of the dangers their parents faced, to a certain extent. They were children, but they weren't stupid. They knew it was dangerous when their parents nearly squeezed them to death, and had to wipe tears from their eyes nearly every time they left. But it was one thing to be aware of the dangers, and another to be prepared for the worst. Harry knew he would never forget the look in Neville's eyes when his parents were carried back by two wizards they didn't know, tortured to insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange – a Death Eater – and several others who were still unknown. Harry, Neville and Susan all knew their lives would be very different from that point on.

When they were old enough to train and to fight, they always stayed together. Never once was one of them alone on a battlefield. Each of them protected the others, each willing to give their life to save their friends. And it was four years since such an event had happened.

Some Death Eaters had ambushed a muggle village, somewhere in Cumbria, and James Potter, the leader of the Northern rebels at the time, had immediately dispatched a group to fight them back. Each being seventeen, the trio had insisted they go along to help. They fought well, the three of them working together, advancing slowly forward. Never alone, always covered, until a spell deflected, by Neville from hitting Harry, ricocheted off a building and hit Neville knocking him unconscious. Harry ran immediately forward to protect his friend, whilst Susan stayed back to cover Harry and clear his path. But as she did so, a Death Eater approached from behind, one presumed dead from earlier in the battle. As soon as the spell hit her, she was dead, and the first Harry knew was the flash of green light that filled the street, but by then it was too late. Neither Neville, nor Harry ever forgave themselves for what happened that day.

Harry and Neville remained like brothers, but with a new energy in them. A new determination to win at all costs, to defeat the bastard that took their friend, to avenge her death. And so in their special training with Dumbledore they worked harder than ever, and after years of being kept away from the battles, they were finally allowed out on a mission once more. But they ran into problems, and were found by Voldemort. In the battle that ensued Neville was killed.

To lose one friend was hard enough, to lose two was nigh on unbearable. Harry had never felt more lonely. His friends had always been his greatest strength. Even when all the fear and suffering surrounded them, the three of them could just slink away to some forgotten corner of the castle and hide away and laugh amongst themselves about something very stupid and not remotely funny. But now, with his friends gone, and feeling the weight of the world and his destiny on his shoulders, Harry was in desperate need of a companion. Someone his own age, whom he could talk to, laugh with, just someone who could be company when he was feeling down.

Harry Potter missed his friends desperately.

After completing his daily circuit through the troops, he sat down in some of the long grass at the edge of the old pitch and allowed himself to think of happier times. Like when Neville put some stink pellets in Dumbledore's office, or when Susan charmed some keys to fly around in the kitchens, scaring the poor house-elves half to death. Harry chuckled at the memory of the old man's long crooked nose, crinkled up with the foul smell, or Minerva McGonagall and his mother trying desperately to calm a horde of terrified house-elves enough so that they could actually say the counter-charm without hitting a panicking elf.

"What did Dumbledore want with you?" Lily Potter asked her son, breaking him out of his reverie.

She sat down beside him on the grass.

"To tell me of my latest mission," Harry said.

"Which is?" Lily asked.

"Voldemort's after some muggle-born that doesn't even know she's magic," said Harry. "She must be pretty powerful, or else Voldemort just wouldn't care."

"And you're supposed to rescue her," said Lily. "Has he told you where to find her?"

"Yes and no," said Harry. "I'm meeting the southern rebels in a couple of hours at a secret rendezvous point. Apparently, they know the location and I'm to go with them to help with the mission."

"That's strange," said Lily. "This surely isn't that difficult a mission. You don't need any help and neither do they."

"That's what I thought," said Harry. "But Albus has decided that now is the time to start building the alliance between the two factions."

"We're near the end?" Lily asked in a more hushed voice.

"So Albus thinks," said Harry. "And with good reason."

"Why do I get the feeling that you and Albus know a lot more than is let on to the rest of us?" asked Lily.

"Because we do," said Harry. "This war will come to its conclusion very soon, probably within weeks. And whether I win, or Voldemort wins, it will be the end."

"Promise me you'll be careful, Harry," said Lily.

"I promise, Mum," said Harry. "I'm going to head off now and have a look around before the southern leader arrives."

"Good luck," said Lily.

Harry stood and crossed the field to the main gates. As soon as he left the grounds he Apparated away to the co-ordinates written on the parchment Dumbledore had given him.

When he arrived, Harry found himself in a dense wood. It was dark and cold, so much so that it reminded him of the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts, but he knew he was miles away from the castle. He could hear people moving around in the overgrowth not far from him. Slowly and silently he crept towards them and peered through the gaps between the dark green leaves of the bushes. He could see two figures standing on the other side, at what he realised was the meeting point, after glancing at the parchment in his hand. One of the two was clearly female, and knowing that the leader of the southern rebels was a young woman, he knew the time had come for the two factions to merge at last.

"Who goes there?" he said slowly and clearly.

* * *

A/N Thanks for reading. Thanks to Bill for the beat read. Please review! 


	3. Rescuing Miss Granger

**QUEST FOR FREEDOM**

* * *

_By Fire_

* * *

**Chapter 2 Rescuing Miss Granger**

* * *

_"Is any man free except the one who can pass his life as he pleases?"_

_Persius_

* * *

"Who goes there?" Harry said loudly and clearly.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley," came the response from beyond the bush.

"Password?" Harry asked.

"Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself," said the woman.

"I am Harry James Potter," said Harry.

"Password?" asked the woman.

"Nitwit, blubber, oddment, tweak," said Harry, his mouth curling into a smile.

"Ok," said the woman.

Harry stepped between to bushes and into the clearing where two figures stood. The smaller of the two lifted off her hood to reveal bright red hair, brown eyes and a bright smile. She held out her hand to Harry, who took it and shook firmly.

"I'm Ginny," she said. "And this is my brother, Ron."

She pointed to the person standing behind her, who also removed his hood. Harry shook Ron's hand also.

"Pleased to meet you," he said. "I'm Harry. Dumbledore said you know the location of this muggleborn we're supposed to rescue."

"Yes," said Ginny. "I'll tell you soon, but not here. It's not secure enough. Follow me."

The three made their way out of the woods to a field filled with wooden huts and grassy patches which were used as training grounds. Harry thought that the huts were nice, and gave the place a homelike feel, but he felt that he preferred the security of the castle. He also noted that the training facilities were more sophisticated at the castle, but this was to be expected as they been able to use all of the school's old supplies. After a short walk through the barracks Ginny and Ron led him to a hut in the centre of all the others.

"Take a seat," Ginny said.

Harry sat down at a small round table, and the others did the same. Ginny took some parchment out of a drawer beneath the table.

"This is Hermione Granger," said Ginny, pointing to a small muggle photograph fastened to the top right corner. "She's twenty-two years old, and lives in London. She's been known to perform very powerful accidental magic which is most likely why Voldemort wants her dead. If she's as powerful as he thinks, she could be very useful to us, which is why Dumbledore told us to find her, and why we're going to rescue her now. We know the Death Eaters have discovered her location, which means that we need to go as soon as possible."

"You ready?" said Harry standing up.

Ginny and Ron both nodded.

"Then let's go," Harry said.

* * *

Harry, Ron and Ginny crept through the back garden of an ordinary, suburban muggle house, following the fence whilst under the disillusionment charm.

"Wait!" said Harry in hushed but urgent whisper.

Several crashes were heard inside, followed by a woman's screams.

"Shit!" cursed Ginny. "Death Eaters."

"We have to move quickly," said Ron.

They sprinted to the back door and with a quick 'Alohomora' they were inside. They followed the sounds of breaking ornaments through the kitchen, down the hall and into the living room through a narrow doorway. Harry and Ginny stood at either side of the entrance whilst Ron stood a few metres away, but at a right angle to the wall, covering the exit. Peering into the room, Harry saw a young woman crouched behind the settee with four Death Eaters advancing on her. Firing off two quick stunners each, Harry and Ginny dashed into the room, with Ron close behind. Pointing his wand at each of the fallen Death Eaters in turn, Harry said 'Obliviate' before turning an item of each of their clothing into a portkey and activating it.

"Where have you sent them?" Ginny asked, half amused.

"Erm," said Harry. "One to Nepal, one to the Sahara desert, one to the South Pole and one to the Australian outback."

Ginny laughed despite herself, and Ron also chuckled.

"Clever," Ginny said.

Harry removed the disillusionment charm from the three of them. The woman, seeing them entering, screamed again, and tried to crawl backwards.

"It's ok," Ginny said, approaching her slowly. "We're here to help you. Are you Hermione Granger?"

The young woman nodded. Her face was pale and the whites of her eyes shone with terror.

"Ok, Hermione," said Ginny. "We need to leave here as quickly as possible."

"No," said Hermione. "I don't even know who you are, how can I trust you?"

Ginny glanced at Harry.

"Go on," he said.

"My name is Ginny," she said. "This is my brother Ron." She pointed to Ron who was stood a few feet to her left.

"I'm Harry," he said.

"We can't really explain everything now," said Ginny. "But what I can tell you is that these men who came for you work for a very evil wizard called Voldemort, and we're fighting him. In fact, our kind have been fighting him for thirty years, and I have to say, it's not looking so good at the moment."

"Did you say wizard?" Hermione asked, looking bewildered.

"Yes," said Ginny. "We'll explain everything later, once you're safe."

There was a loud crash upstairs. Ron ran to the door.

"Ginny," he said. "There's three more coming down the stairs. We have to move."

He moved away from the door and locked it with a spell.

"Ron," Ginny said. "You're the biggest. You'll have to take her by side-along-apparition. It's too dangerous to take a portkey."

"Ok," said Ron, running over and helping Hermione to her feet.

"Hold onto my arm," he told her, offering his left arm.

Hermione clung to it. The Death Eaters in the hall, had begun to try and break their way into the room, and the walls were shaking with the force of their spells.

"Where am I taking her?" Ron asked.

"Hogsmeade," said Harry. "We can get to the castle quickly from there."

Ron nodded. He began to revolve and the two of them disappeared in a loud pop. The inside wall of the living room collapsed.

"Let's go," Harry said to Ginny.

He disapparated with Ginny following a split second later.

Harry arrived in Hogsmeade to see a very green Hermione being supported by Ron. Ginny appeared just in front of Harry moments later.

"How far is it to the castle?" she asked Harry.

"About a five minute walk," said Harry.

"Do you think she's all right?" Ginny asked as Hermione seemed very unsteady on her feet.

"I'll carry her," said Ron.

He lifted the still rather green Hermione into her arms and the quartet set off to the castle. It didn't take long to get there and once Harry had cast the spell to get them inside the gates, Hermione was well enough to walk again.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Harry said, with a brief smile.

"It's beautiful," said Ginny looking at the castle with awe.

"Dumbledore's had the house-elves prepare rooms for you," said Harry. "I'll show you the way."

He led them through the large front doors and up many flights of stairs until they reached the seventh floor.

"You'll learn your way around fairly quickly," Harry said, chuckling at their confused faces. "The hardest thing to get your head around is the moving staircases but once you've figured those out the rest of place is a doddle."

He carried on walking down a long wide corridor until he reached a painting of an old woman with a pitcher of water. He reached out and tickled the woman's nose, and the portrait swung open to let them through.

"When Hogwarts was still a school," Harry explained. "These were used as the staff quarters. Most of our army stays in the old house dormitories where the students used to live. That's my room on your left."

He pointed to a room which had a wooden plaque on the front which read _H. Potter_.

"Yours is opposite mine, Ginny," he said, pointing to a door with a plaque that said _G. Weasley_. "Hermione, your room is next door to Ginny's." This room's plaque read _H. Granger_. "And finally Ron, yours is next door to mine, opposite Hermione's."

Ron's also had a plaque displaying his name.

"Before you go and settle in," said Harry. "I would like to invite you to my room for something to eat and drink, and I think we have a lot to explain to Miss Granger."

Hermione nodded numbly, as she, Ron and Ginny followed Harry into his room. It appeared to be more than just a room, however, when they entered it. There was a large living area with an ornate fireplace, two large couches, a dining table and a coffee table. The room had two doors leading off from it, one presumably to a bedroom, and one to a bathroom. The room was decorated in scarlet and gold, and the fire was roaring away, giving the room a warm glow.

"Take a seat," Harry said, plonking himself down on one of the couches.

Ginny sat beside him, with Hermione and Ron sitting opposite them, Hermione still clinging to Ron's left arm.

"Right," said Harry. "So, who wants to begin the tale?"

"I'll start," said Ginny. "I'm going to try and keep this simple, though. Hermione, you are a witch."

"A witch?" Hermione looked at Ginny slightly sceptically.

"Yes," said Ginny. "Surely you must have noticed that strange things happen when you're angry or afraid?"

"Well, I…" muttered Hermione. "I thought I was going mad."

Ginny smiled.

"That's not unusual," she continued. "Anyway, you must have performed some powerful magic, because Voldemort detected it and set out to find you and kill you. But before you can understand that, I need to tell you about the last thirty years."

She paused.

"Thirty-one years ago, a wizard calling himself Lord Voldemort emerged and started to gather followers. He was a follower of a branch of magic we call the Dark Arts, a very evil form of magic. It is important to realise that not all wizards are good, some go bad, and Voldemort, well, he went just about as bad as you can go. Anyway, for about thirteen years he was steadily gaining power, and followers, and that was when he took the ministry. The Ministry of Magic was our government. Anyway, ever since then we've been fighting him as rebels."

"There are two main rebellions," Harry continued. "One in the North which was originally led by my father, but now it's led by me, and one in the south which was once led by Kingsley Shacklebolt who used to work for the ministry, but is now led by Ginny. In essence we're both under the command of Albus Dumbledore. He was the last Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but when Voldemort took over the ministry the school was forced to close, and Dumbledore devoted his life to defeating Voldemort. He let the castle be the base for the northern rebellion, and it has so far never been breached. It has also been said though, that Dumbledore is the only one Voldemort ever feared."

"So," said Ron picking up the story. "For the last eighteen years, we've been fighting a losing battle. None of us ever had the chance to have a proper education here at Hogwarts and we were taught how to defend ourselves as soon as we were old enough to hold a wand. We'll have to get you a wand, actually."

"Don't worry about that," said Harry. "Ollivander lives here, so he should have one that will suit her."

"We're going to teach you magic," said Ron. "And hopefully, you'll be able to use the power you have to help us defeat Voldemort, the man who wanted you dead."

"I know it's a lot to take in," Ginny said.

"Yeah," said Hermione, with a weak smile. "I think I need some time to think this over."

"Come on," said Ron. "I'll take you to your room."

Ron stood, and helped Hermione to her feet and led her across the room. Harry heard the door click shut behind him.

"You and Ron seem close," Harry said to Ginny.

"We are," said Ginny. "Of all my brothers he's the closest to me in age."

"How many brothers do you have?"

"Six," said Ginny. "There's Bill, Charlie who was killed two years ago…"

"I'm sorry," said Harry.

"It's ok," said Ginny. "We never really believed we'd all come out of this war unscathed. Anyway, then there's Percy, the twins Fred and George who are a right pair of pranksters. And finally Ron, and last of all me. I was the first girl born into the Weasley family for a very long time."

"What about your parents?" asked Harry.

"They're both still alive, thankfully. They live at the barracks with us, and my mum mothers everyone. My dad's obsessed with muggles. He collects plugs which have something to do with eckletricity but I'm not sure what," said Ginny, chuckling.

Harry laughed.

"They sound great," he said. "My mum and dad both live here. Their room is four doors down from yours. I don't have any brothers and sisters, but my dad's three best friends are like my uncles. And they taught me all the fun stuff that mum wouldn't let dad teach me. There's Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. They were a right group of pranksters with my dad back when they were at Hogwarts. Minerva McGonagall nearly had a heart attack when they were all back in this castle together."

Ginny laughed

"I wish I could have come to Hogwarts," said Ginny. "It would have been wonderful."

"Yeah," said Harry. "I would have been in the same year as Hermione, had Hogwarts still been open. What about you?"

"Well," said Ginny. "Ron would have been in your year, but I'd have been the year below."

"So that would make you…?"

"I turned twenty in August," Ginny said.

"I was twenty-one at the end of July," Harry said.

"We seem too young to be leading armies in a war," Ginny said, sadly.

"We had to grow up quickly. We never had the chance to be children."

"We never played Quidditch, we've never had homework, or exams, we couldn't make friends with everybody and anybody, and we never had the need to learn all the daft spells that they teach you in your first year of school. We never even had the chance to fall in love," said Ginny. "Although, I believe my brother has taken a definite shining to Miss Granger."

Harry laughed.

"I guess he's likely to get some ribbing from his older brothers then."

Ginny nodded.

"And his sister too. I give Fred and George a run from their money in that department."

Harry laughed again.

"You certainly seem like a bit of a firecracker," said Harry.

"Was that a red hair joke?" Ginny asked, trying to look stern.

"Well, it wasn't meant to be, but now that you mention it, it works quite well, don't you think?"

Ginny smacked his arm.

"What about you with your big lightning shaped cut on your head?" Ginny asked. "What happened? Did the light bulb in your brain burn too bright after many years of not working?"

"Hey!" exclaimed Harry. "That was below the belt!"

"And what is below Mr Potter's belt," Ginny asked with an evil, yet seductive smile.

She slid her hand slowly down Harry's chest, but just before her hand could slip below his belt, Harry grabbed it and pulled it away.

"Miss Weasley," he said. "I am not that easy."

Ginny laughed. She pulled his face towards her and their lips met in a fierce and passionate kiss.

* * *

A/N Thanks to Bill for the beta. Please review. 


	4. Midnight Meetings

**QUEST FOR FREEDOM**

* * *

_By Fire_

* * *

**Chapter 3 Midnight Meetings**

* * *

_"Ay me! for aught that I ever could read,_

_Could ever hear by tale or history,_

_The course of true love never did run smooth."_

_William Shakespeare_

* * *

After several long moments – or it might have been half an hour – or possibly several sunlit days – they broke apart. Harry and Ginny, both breathless, gazed at each other in silence.

"Ever since my friend Susan died, I've tried to avoid getting close to people," said Harry. "For fear of more loss and pain. How can it be that I've only known you for a few hours, yet I feel that I want to be with you forever?"

"I don't know, Harry," she said.

"I don't care," Harry said.

Ginny grinned. Harry leaned in and kissed her again, more slowly this time. It didn't take long for the two of them to end up in Harry's bedroom…

* * *

Maybe an hour or so later, Harry held Ginny in his arms, with the sheets from his bed wrapped around them.

"Do you believe in fate?" Harry asked.

"I don't know. I haven't really thought about it. I suppose I do. I mean, everything happens for a reason right, otherwise what's the point in having life at all?"

"I believe we each have a destiny, already mapped out for us, and there's not a damn thing we can do to change that," said Harry. "And most people are lucky enough not to know what their destiny is."

"What do you mean, most people?"

"Very few people know what I'm about tell you," said Harry. "But I think you deserve to know. Shortly before my birth a seer called Sybill Trelawney made a prophecy. This prophecy stated that a boy would be born at the end of July to parents would had thrice defied Voldemort. This boy would have a power that Voldemort doesn't know and that the boy would have the power to vanquish the Dark Lord. But the strangest bit is the part that said _and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal_."

"The prophecy meant you?" Ginny asked.

"Yes and no," said Harry. "In fact, the prophecy could have been referring to two boys. Myself and Neville Longbottom. And so, once we were old enough, Dumbledore has trained both myself and Neville to be able to duel with and defeat Voldemort. A few weeks ago, Neville and I came across Voldemort on a mission and had to face him, much earlier than Dumbledore had prepared us for. Neville was killed and I received this scar."

He touched the lighting bolt-shaped scar on the left side of his forehead.

"I was marked," Harry said.

"So you're the only on who can defeat Voldemort?" said Ginny. "We always just assumed it would be Dumbledore."

"Most people do," said Harry. "The thing is the night the prophecy was made, one of Voldemort's Death Eaters, a man called Severus Snape was at the Hog's Head, the place where Dumbledore met with Trelawney, and he overheard the prophecy. But between him going down the stairs from the private room where the prophecy was made, to leaving the Hog's Head, someone obliviated him, and to this day, nobody has been able to identify who. Whatever the case, Voldemort came very close to hearing the prophecy, and then, our story may have been very very different."

"What I don't understand is why Dumbledore has chosen now for us to work together? We've been separate forces for eighteen years. Why now?"

"Dumbledore believes the end of the war is near," said Harry. "For reasons that are not my place to tell you. And we need to have the full army fighting as one in order to win. And you have a great task at hand. It will be your job to lead the army in the battle. It will be your task to keep the Death Eaters occupied whilst I slip through the crowds to find Voldemort, who will be no doubt lurking not far away."

"Why can't I come with you?"

"I can't afford any distractions. And you Ginny, albeit a nice one, you are a distraction. Also, Voldemort will not hesitate to kill any spares that venture his way."

"You shouldn't have to face him alone."

"Believe me, it's the best way."

Ginny snuggled closer to Harry.

"Do you think Hermione will be ok?" Ginny asked.

"I hope so," said Harry. "I'm going to send my mum to talk to her in the morning. She's a muggleborn, so if anyone can relate to Hermione right now, it's my mum."

Ginny yawned.

"You tired?" Harry asked.

"A bit," said Ginny. "It's been a busy day."

"We should try and get some sleep."

He raised his wand lazily and all the candles blew out magically. He let his head fall back onto the pillow, and the two of them were asleep within moments.

* * *

Harry and Ginny awoke the next morning to a loud knocking on the door. Harry rolled over and groaned.

"Harry!" shouted his dad. "Get up, now!"

"Coming!" Harry shouted.

He got out of bed, and threw on a t-shirt and some muggle jeans. Ginny quickly dressed in her clothes from the day before.

"I'll change in my room," she said.

"Ok," said Harry. "Ready?"

Ginny nodded. The two of them left the bedroom and crossed the living room. Harry opened the door to find his dad and another man waiting outside.

"Mornin' Dad. Mornin' Uncle Sirius," Harry said jovially. "This is Ginny. She's the leader of the southern rebels."

"Nice to meet you," she said, before crossing the corridor to her own room.

"You work fast, Potter," said Sirius with an approving grin on his face. "You only met her yesterday."

"Just don't let your mother find out," said James.

"What did you two want anyway?" asked Harry.

"Lily sent us to find you," said Sirius. "When you didn't turn up for training this morning."

Harry glanced at his watch.

"Oh shit!" he said. "I'm in trouble aren't I."

"'Fraid so, son," said James.

"Dammit! I need a favour of mum, the last thing I need is her mad at me," said Harry. "I need her to go and have a chat with Hermione, the muggle-born we rescued yesterday. I got the feeling that she's a little overwhelmed."

"A little?" asked Sirius, sceptically.

"Ok, a lot," said Harry. "But I figured mum could probably relate to her a bit better than most of us."

"You're right there, Harry," said James. "I'll send her up when I go back to the field. You'd best stay out of her way for a while. I'll cover for you and tell her you were having some important discussions with the leader of the southern rebels, which isn't exactly a lie now, is it."

James ruffled Harry's hair. Sirius was still grinning proudly.

"You go and find your girl," Sirius said.

"I think in this case," said James. "It's a case of like god-father, like god-son."

Sirius chuckled.

"I think we've let him spent too much time with you," continued James, as the two set off walking back to the old quidditch pitch. "You've obviously rubbed off on him."

Harry shook his had watching the two old friends banter with each other. He knocked lightly on the door to Ginny's room.

"Come in," she said.

"Hi," said Harry, entering the room.

"You in trouble?" she asked.

"Not really," said Harry. "I missed training and my mum's none to pleased. Dad says he'll cover for me, and Uncle Sirius, well, let's just say he's proud that some of his personality has rubbed off on me."

Ginny laughed.

"Did you sleep ok?" Harry asked her.

"Yes, I did," she said. "So, you ready to go and see how Hermione's doing this morning?"

She set off towards the door.

"I'm right behind you," Harry said.

They walked down the corridor to the next door and knocked on it, just as Ron arrived from his room, opposite.

"Morning," he said.

"Morning," said Harry.

Hermione came to the door and let the three of them.

"Did you sleep alright, Hermione?" Ron asked.

"Oh, you know, I've slept better," she said with a smile.

"I'm not surprised," said Ginny.

"Hermione," said Harry. "I've asked my mum to come and have a chat with you today. She's a muggle-born like you, so she's been through whatever it is you're going through at the moment, so she should be able to help you."

"Thank you," said Hermione.

There was a knock at the door.

"That'll be her now," Harry said, and crossed the room to let his mother in.

The expression on Lily's face was not one that Harry was pleased to see.

"Where were you this morning?" she hissed. "And don't think your father's excuse is going to get you through. Don't you think that after more than twenty years I can tell when he's lying?"

Harry gulped.

"Sorry, mum," he said. "Mum, this is Ginny."

The two redheaded women shook hands.

"She's the leader of the southern rebellion," Harry continued. "That's her brother Ron."

Ron and Lily shook hands.

"And this is Hermione."

"It's nice to meet you, Hermione," said Lily. "How're you doing?"

"Oh, you know, struggling to understand everything," Hermione said.

Lily smiled.

"Don't worry, dear," she said. "It'll take you a while to get used to everything."

"I think we should leave you two alone," said Harry.

He, Ron and Ginny left the room, and followed the corridor back to the portrait where they had entered the night before.

"Fancy a tour?" Harry asked.

"Sounds good," said Ron.

* * *

Later in the afternoon, Harry, Ron and Ginny were out on the quidditch pitch. Ginny was admiring the training ground that had been set up there when one of Harry's men sprinted over to them.

"Potter!" he said breathlessly once he was near enough. "We've received word of an attack on the southern barracks. One of them sent the distress signal."

Ginny and Ron both paled.

"Ok," said Harry, calmly. "We'll send some help immediately. Wood, will you go and alert the early response team, and my father."

"Yes, sir," Wood sent, turning and sprinting away.

"How many are there in your barracks who are able to fight?" Harry asked Ginny.

"Less than half," she said. "We've lost a lot over the years. Mostly we have children or the families of our soldiers."

"Ok," said Harry, a plan starting to formulate in his mind.

He looked up and saw a group starting to mass at the front gates.

"Come with me," he told Ron and Ginny.

He ran across the field to where his army was grouping, with the two redheads at heels.

"Listen up, guys," he said. "It is imperative that we save every person that we can. They are our allies and we can't afford to lose them. We need to apparate straight there, and bring people back by side-along-apparition only. Portkeys are too easy to track. Do not speak to anyone of where you are taking them. We cannot risk Death Eaters getting to the rendezvous point. Fight only to defend yourself. Capturing Death Eaters is not our concern today. Ginny, I want you to wait outside the Three Broomsticks, the old pub. It is where we will bring those we rescue."

"Why can't I help?" Ginny asked.

"Because I want you here to give us an indication of how many we have left to save each time we return," Harry explained. "Also, children will be frightened and will need to see a familiar face. Finally, you need to give an order to all those capable of fighting to return to your barracks, once they have seen the rendezvous point, and help us with the rescue."

"Ok," said Ginny, nodding. "I'll do that."

"Has everybody got their broomsticks?" Harry asked.

Harry's troops nodded, but Ron and Ginny looked bewildered.

"Flying is the quickest way to get to the Three Broomsticks," said Harry.

He looked around.

"Ginny," he said. "You can ride on mine with me, and Wood, will you take Ron?"

"Yes, no problem," said Wood.

"Let's go then," said Harry.

They all climbed onto their broomsticks and sped away down the drive. Harry opened the gates with a quick flick of his wand, and the group appeared as a black blur as they flew through the village. Moments later, so it seemed, they arrived at the Three Broomsticks. Quickly dismounting, they all Disapparated leaving Ginny to await the arrival of her army.

The sight that awaited the Northern rebels when they arrived at the Southern barracks was one of complete carnage. The small wooden huts that Harry had seen and admired just one day before were all burning. Men, women and children all ran around in various directions, many terrified and screaming. Some were doing their best to fight back and protect the others but there were too many Death Eaters swarming around.

"Split up!" yelled Harry. "You all know what to do!"

Harry ran forward and grabbed the first two children he saw. Quickly, turning he Disapparated and moments later was standing outside the Three Broomsticks. He put the children gently back on the floor, and saw Ginny already comforting a little blonde girl. She looked up at him, her eyes full of concern.

"It's carnage," said Harry simply, before Disapparating once more.

Back on the battlefield he found a woman clutching a baby, crouched behind a man who was firing spells at the Death Eaters. Harry saw one of them approaching and shot a quick stunner in that direction. He heard the thud as the Death Eater hit the floor. He ran to the woman.

"Keep tight hold of the child!" he shouted over the noise of the fires and the screams. "Take my arm!"

The woman took hold of Harry's right arm with her left hand. Turning quickly, again he Disapparated. Once back he Hogsmeade, he glanced around at the group of people who had already been brought to safety.

"My husband!" the woman told him letting go of his arm.

"I'll find him," said Harry.

He Disapparated once more, and returned to where he found the woman. The man was still there, and Harry ran to him, hexing another Death Eater along the way. The man had red hair, and his horn-rimmed glasses were sliding down his nose.

"Your wife is safe!" Harry yelled to him. "Come with me!"

The man took Harry's arm and the two of them Disapparated. When they arrived in Hogsmeade, the woman was waiting.

"Percy!" she said, throwing herself into her husband's arms.

Harry noticed Ginny with the baby and he shouted to her,

"How many have gone back?"

"Twenty!" she shouted back. "But there must be at least fifty that haven't arrived yet."

"Ok," Harry said. "We'll find them."

Slowly revolving, he Disapparated again. Returning to the battlefield, he found himself being set upon by three Death Eaters. Quickly stunning one of them, he dropped to the floor to dodge a stinging hex cast by another.

"Impedimenta!" he yelled, and another of the Death Eaters was immediately immobilised.

The other Death Eater aimed a Cruciatus at Harry who managed to roll out of the way.

"Stupefy!" he shouted, and the Death Eater slumped to the floor.

Harry climbed to his feet and breathed a sigh of relief. Looking around him, he could see no one, so he set off running between two of the burning huts to where he could hear more screaming. When he made it through the smoke, he saw two of his men Disapparate with one passenger each, and saw another red-haired man left near the doorway of a burning hut. He was duelling with a Death Eater, and seemed to have an injured arm. As Harry approached the man, the Death Eater spotted him, but it was too late.

"Stupefy!" Harry shouted.

The Death Eater hit the ground.

"Come with me," Harry said to the man. "Take my arm."

Stowing his wand inside his robes, the man took the arm Harry offered. He Disapparated and arrived seconds later in Hogsmeade where the group of refugees was ever growing.

"Fred!" a woman cried, running to hug Harry's passenger.

She was quite short and could have been described as 'dumpy'. She had curly red hair and her voice was shrill and panicky.

"Oh, Fred! I was so worried," she cried, squeezing the man tightly.

"Mum!" said Fred, wincing. "My arm!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, dear," she said, and immediately began to fuss over her son's injury.

Ginny, meanwhile, was standing almost in the doorway of the old pub, speaking hurriedly to yet another red-haired man. She turned round and saw Harry standing amidst the crowd.

"Harry!" she shouted. "Almost everyone is here! The others have gone back to do a sweep of the buildings."

"Thanks, Ginny!" Harry called back to her before Disapparating again.

At the battlefield, Harry found the Death Eaters gone.

"They fled a couple of minutes ago," Ron told him, as they met outside one of the huts trying to put of the fire. "When they realised no one was left."

"Have you found anyone else?" Harry asked.

Ron's ash covered face fell.

"No one alive," he said. "We've found five bodies so far."

"We should count ourselves lucky that we got here when we did," Harry said, solemnly. "It could have been far worse."

"I know," said Ron. "Thank you, Harry."

"Don't thank me," said Harry, feeling his cheeks burn and hoping the soot on his face was thick enough to disguise it. "You'd have done the same for us if it had been the other way round."

With the fire finally extinguished, and the hut found to contain nobody, dead or alive, Harry and Ron headed for the centre of the barracks.

"Men!" Harry shouted. "Come to the centre!"

Within moments it seemed, the group who Harry had brought, along with many of the southern rebels, gathered in a semicircle around Harry and Ron.

"Well done," Harry said. "We've rescued everybody we could, and have suffered no losses to the rescue group. Only five have been killed, which, whilst very sad, is in fact a miracle. Losses on a day like today should have been far higher, so you should all be very proud of yourselves. You've done a great job. Also, thank you to those of you from the southern army who returned to help, without your bravery at the start of the battle and later on, losses would have been greater. We need to return to Hogsmeade. I suggest we apparate to the Hog's Head and walk through the village so as not to alarm anyone."

* * *

That evening Harry had the house-elves provide food for the southern rebels in the Great Hall, before he conjured sleeping bags for each of them, as there had not been time to prepare sleeping quarters for the new influx of people. As they all sat in the huge room, Harry couldn't help but admire Ginny as she moved among them talking to each of them. He stood, so none could see him, near to the door of a small room off the Great Hall near the Head table. He found that as he watched her, he couldn't tear his eyes away.

"She's a beauty alright," said a voice behind him.

"Hi, mum," Harry said, still watching Ginny.

He was mesmerised by her bright smile, and the way she spun around to speak to whoever it was who spoke to her.

"How's Hermione?"

"A little better," Lily said. "She's with Ron at the moment. She's seems to have warmed to him more than anyone else. But it wasn't Hermione I was talking about."

"I know," said Harry.

"I'm not a fool, you know," said Lily. "A mother can always figure out what's going on with her son. I know what happened last night."

Harry blushed.

"I didn't plan it," said Harry. "It just happened."

"Well, personally," said Lily. "I'm glad you've taken up an interest in girls again. Ever since your girlfriend died, you've run away from every girl who's ever spoken to you."

"Susan wasn't my girlfriend," said Harry, sounding slightly cross. "We just slept together occasionally, usually when she was annoyed at Neville for something or other, something you disapproved of, if I remember rightly."

"I did," said Lily. "But when Susan was alive was when you were happiest. When the three of you were together. Since she died, you've always been afraid to get close to anyone else. You said it was to protect yourself from loss. What is it about Ginny that's changed your mind? After all, she's the leader of the southern rebels which puts her in more danger than most."

"I don't know," said Harry. "All I know is that even though I only met her yesterday, it feels as though I've known her my whole life. And when we were together, last night, it felt like the most natural thing in the world, as though everything in my life had been leading up to that moment. It was like nothing I've ever felt before."

"Love at first sight, do you think?" Lily asked.

"More like fate," Harry said.


	5. Forever England

**QUEST FOR FREEDOM**

* * *

_By Fire

* * *

_

**Chapter 4 Forever England

* * *

**

_"If I should die, think only this of me:_

_That there's some corner of a foreign field_

_that is forever England."_

_Rupert Brooke_

* * *

Almost five weeks had passed since the Death Eaters attack on the southern barracks. Ever since, the two factions of the rebellion had lived in complete – well, almost complete – harmony, training together under the command of both Harry and Ginny. For their part, Harry and Ginny were pleased with how the two armies were gelling together, and how adept they were becoming at duelling. Their relationship was progressing nicely, too. The two leaders grew closer with each day that passed, and both appeared to be happy. They were growing to know each other well, and both of them were determined to protect the other.

Early one morning, the rebel army headed out onto the Quidditch pitch to begin their daily drills. They were just setting up their equipment and arranging themselves into pairs, when a large object hurtled over the wall, setting off the intruder alarm. The object hit the ground with a thud, and Harry, who was with Ginny setting up the targets for aiming practise, looked across the field in shock. Seeing that the object was not an object at all, but a man, Harry sprinted as fast as he could across the field, and as he did so a crowd gathered around the man. Harry burst through the crowd with Ginny close behind him to see the tired yet smiling face of Albus Dumbledore staring up at him.

"Nice of you to drop in Albus," Harry said, with a grin. "Bored of using the gate now, are you?"

"Well, I like to make an entrance," said Albus.

Smatterings of laughter could be heard in the crowd around them.

"Ok, everyone," Harry said. "I don't remember saying that drills were delayed this morning. Get to work!"

The people around them scurried away. Ginny stood back slightly from Harry and Dumbledore.

"How was your mission, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, still lying flat on his back, looking slightly spread-eagled.

"Successful," said Harry. "Hermione's here, she's actually having a potions lesson at the moment."

"I would very much like to meet her," said Dumbledore.

Harry turned around.

"Ginny," he said. "Will you go and get Hermione? She should be in the dungeons with my mum."

"No problem, Harry," she said, turning and walking away.

Harry watched her leave and only turned back around when Dumbledore spoke.

"Lovely girl, isn't she?"

Harry blushed, allowing Dumbledore the chance for a chuckle.

"Did you get the horcrux?" Harry asked hastily changing the subject.

"Yes and no," said Dumbledore. "I've located both the fifth and sixth horcrux. Unfortunately, I was unable to seize possession of either of them. I need you to come with me now to the Malfoy Manor, where the diary is kept secure."

"Malfoy Manor?" said Harry, his eyebrows raised. "That will be tricky. And the sixth."

"The sixth is the sword," said Dumbledore. "But we will leave that for another day. Ah. It appears we have company."

Harry turned to see three women crossing the quidditch to where Harry and Dumbledore were still occupying the ground. Dumbledore slowly and somewhat creakily got to his feet, and Harry did likewise.

"Good morning, Lily," Dumbledore said jovially to the older of the three women. "And good morning to you, too, Ginny. I trust preparations are progressing well."

"Yes," said Ginny. "Harry and I have been integrating the two groups during training, and we've also begun transferring more command to me in the last week or so. Haven't we Harry?"

Harry barely heard Ginny speak, as he was distracted by the glint of the sun on her vibrant red hair. He came to his senses moments after he heard his name.

"What? Oh, yeah. That's right," he said, his cheeks colouring slightly.

"And this must be Miss Granger," Dumbledore said, offering his hand to the women with bushy brown hair. "I am pleased to meet you. I am Albus Dumbledore."

Hermione took his hand and shook it firmly.

"Pleased to meet you to, sir," she said politely. "It's nice to finally be able to put a face to the name. I've heard a lot about you."

"Nothing good I hope," said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling.

"Well," he said. "I have kept you from your work long enough, and now Harry and I have urgent business to attend to. I shall see you all again later this evening."

Lily and Hermione headed off back to the castle, and Dumbledore turned and headed for the gates. Harry noticed, with some concern, that Dumbledore was limping as he walked.

"What business?" Ginny asked, her eyes questioning.

"I can't tell you Ginny," said Harry. "At least not now. It would take far, far too long to explain. All you need to know is that it will help us greatly in the fight against Voldemort."

"Is it dangerous?" she asked.

"Yes," said Harry. "But nothing is safe these days. Don't worry about me."

"I can't help it," said Ginny.

Harry reached out to her and pulled her close.

"My time isn't up yet," Harry said, straining a smile. "I'll be back in a couple of hours."

"Be careful, Harry," Ginny said urgently, squeezing him tighter.

"I will," he said.

She looked up at him, and Harry found himself lost in her gaze. He kissed her gently, savouring each moment. Breaking apart he said, gently, "I love you," before turning and running across the field to where Dumbledore was waiting for him.

"It's harder to go when there's someone to leave behind," said Dumbledore wisely.

Harry just nodded and set off to the gates without looking back, knowing that if he allowed himself just one glance, he might not be able to go.

* * *

Harry and Dumbledore apparated into some woodland near to the boundary wall of the Malfoy estate, but on the wrong side of it, so as not to be detected. Dumbledore had already told Harry that he had earlier discovered a break in the wall where they could easily enter and had already disabled the protection charms there. They walked a short distance through the woods, until Harry saw what Dumbledore had spoken of – an area of wall about a metre wide and a metre tall that had crumbled and many of the rocks fallen away. With a quick flick of his wand, Dumbledore checked that his earlier spellwork was still intact, and finding that it was so he gave Harry a nod to say 'all clear'. Harry being younger and more agile climbed through the hole first, his wand at the ready. Signalling to Dumbledore that the way was clear, the older man made his way through the hole in the wall. The grounds surrounding the manor itself were massive and Dumbledore had already calculated that it would take them at least half an hour to reach the building. Luckily, most of the once beautiful gardens had fallen into disrepair in the years since the Malfoy's had taken up with Voldemort, and Harry and Dumbledore were able to move forward quite quickly as they were always under the cover of dense overgrowth. Both moved silently with the wands held out before them, prepared for any combat they might be forced into. Harry noticed Dumbledore constantly checking for any security spells that might detect their presence, and fervently hoped that Dumbledore found their way to be clear.

For a long time, the Northern rebellion had watched the Malfoy Manor carefully, knowing it to be a breeding and training ground for new Death Eaters. They had known, however, that the risks of trying to render the manor useless to Voldemort would be far too risky and would most likely result in a loss of rebels, not Death Eaters. It was only now, knowing the importance of a signal object inside, that both Harry and Dumbledore knew that the risk was worth taking. Now, as they approached the dirty black stone walls of the manor, Harry could feel his heart pounding with a mixture of fear and excitement.

_"How do we enter, Albus?"_ Harry asked wordlessly, communicating through thought.

_"Through the door,"_ said Dumbledore, as though it was as easy as breathing.

Harry shook his head in bewilderment, but nevertheless followed Dumbledore to a tiny little servant's door on the corner of the east wing of the mansion – the house-elf's door. Tapping the handle with his wand and pushing the wooden door open, Dumbledore crouched down and slipped easily through the tiny opening. Harry followed closing the door behind him.

_"Why are there no wards?"_ Harry asked.

_"Being the wizard that he is, Lucius Malfoy believes that no wizard would stoop so low as to use a servants entrance,"_ explained Dumbledore. _"A foolish error in judgement."_

The servants quarters were dark and dingy. A pile of rags sat in one corner, which Harry presumed served as a bed, and a couple of candles which were almost burned out provide the only light in the room. The ceiling was low, so much so that Harry and Dumbledore were practically on their hands and knees as they crawled towards a doorway at the other side of the room. Taking care to move as silently as possible, Harry was concentrating so hard that he barely heard a faint weeping coming from a shadowed corner of the room.

"Dobby can't," sobbed the voice. "Dobby so he hurt that Dobby can barely move. Dobby cannot serve his master no more. Dobby would be better dead."

The sobbing continued, and Harry felt pity for the poor creature fill his whole body. So overwhelmed was he that he lost concentration and as a result stumbled.

"Who's there?" asked the elf, it's voice shaking with fear.

Dobby moved slowly out of the shadows to gaze with surprise at the sight of Harry and Dumbledore crawling across his room.

"I am Harry Potter," said Harry. "Tell me Dobby, why are you so sad."

"Dobby cannot speak ill of his master," said the elf, a silent tear sliding down his face.

"Can you help us, Dobby?" Harry asked. "If you help us, I can free you."

Dobby's eyes lit up.

"Yes, Mr Harry Potter, sir," said Dobby. "What is it that Dobby can do?"

"Can you get us through the manor without being seen, and without us having to use magic?"

"Of course Dobby can, sir," said Dobby. "Where is you needing to go?"

"To the dungeon below the Morning Room," said Harry.

Dobby's face fell.

"'Tis an evil room, Mr Harry Potter," said Dobby.

"I know," said Harry. "That's why we need to go."

"Dobby will help," said the elf.

He hurriedly approached the two crouched wizards and put one hand on each, before apparating them to the dungeon. There, quite unprotected, lay a tattered old diary. Harry noticed that the door was locked, but other than that there appeared to be no protection which Dumbledore confirmed with an intricate wave of his wand.

"Why is it unprotected?" Harry asked.

"I do not know," said Dumbledore. "But I will investigate it later."

Harry bent down and picked up the diary off the floor. Dumbledore pointed his wand at it and quickly performed the spell to remove the fragment of Voldemort's soul. Harry bent down and pulled his sock off with a quick fiddle around in his boot. He shoved the sock inside the diary.

"Intruders!"

Harry, Dumbledore and Dobby heard the shout and could tell that whoever it wascould not be far away. With wands out, Harry and Dumbledore waited. Sure enough, the door flew open and in marched the familiar face, and hair, of Lucius Malfoy. Harry eyed him with loathing. This was the man who had killed Susan.

"Dobby!" Malfoy hissed angrily.

Head bowed, Dobby approached his master slowly. Thinking quickly, Harry looked up at Malfoy.

"Don't you want the diary back?" he asked.

He threw the diary to the Death Eater. Malfoy caught it and passed it onto Dobby. Harry motioned to Dobby to open the diary. Malfoy, not noticing Harry's actions looked at Harry and Dumbledore with disgust and said, with a sneer,

"When the Dark Lord catches up with you, you will not be smirking boy. Kill them!"

The order was given to two Death Eaters who were lurking behind him. But before they were even given a chance to cast a spell, something immensely powerful threw them out of the dungeon and a long way down the corridor.

"Dobby!" Malfoy yelled from where he had landed. "How dare you!"

"Master has given Dobby a sock," said the elf, his voice full of wonder.

He was holding up the sock so Malfoy could see it.

"Master gave it to Dobby," said the elf.

Malfoy's eyes widened.

"What did you say?" he spat.

"Dobby has got a sock. Master threw it and Dobby caught it, and Dobby – Dobby is free," said Dobby in disbelief.

Malfoy stood up and pointed his wand at Harry.

"You shall not harm Harry Potter," said Dobby, and with a loud bang threw Malfoy back once more.

Dobby turned to Harry and Dumbledore.

"Can Dobby help you again?" he asked.

"Yes," said Harry.

He bent down to pick up the diary again as Malfoy had dropped it during Dobby's attack. Dobby touched both Harry and Dumbledore once more and apparated them both away. Within seconds they were outside the grounds, and Harry noticed that dusk had fallen.

"Thank you, Mr Harry Potter," Dobby said.

"Come to Hogwarts with us, Dobby," said Harry. "You saved us today and we are very grateful. Will you join us?"

"The other elves will look after you until you are well again," said Dumbledore.

"And don't think that we expect you to serve us," said Harry. "Unless you want to of course."

"Could Dobby," the elf paused, as if unsure of what he was about to ask. "Could Dobby be paid?"

Dobby wrung his hands nervously, but after a moment Dumbledore broke into a smile.

"Yes," he said. "Whatever wage you want. Now, we had best leave for it won't be long before the Death Eaters find us."

* * *

The three days following Dumbledore and Harry's successful mission to retrieve a horcrux, some disturbing news filtered into the rebellion's spy network. Death Eater activity had spread from the Balkans, an area of Eastern Europe that they had occupied for some time, into the more Western reaches of the continent with a particularly large force heading for the heart of Germany.

Dumbledore called an urgent meeting with Harry and Ginny to discuss the new events.

"There is a small European resistance," said Dumbledore. "But they don't have the resources to fight back a full scale Death Eater attack like this. I don't want you to take the full army, it's too risky, take a selection of fighters from both factions."

"What do you want us to do?" Harry asked.

"Find the resistance," said Dumbledore. "Help them to keep the Death eaters out of Berlin, then bring them here to join with us. The more help we have here, the sooner this war will be over for everyone."

"All right," said Harry, nodding slowly. "We'll do what we can."

Later that day, Harry and Ginny assembled a task force of about twenty wizards outside the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. More news had filtered through about the attacks and it was deemed pointless to try and resist the Death Eater advances. Their mission was to enter Berlin and find what members of the European resistance they could and take them to Hogwarts. Among the group were Ginny's brothers Ron, Fred and George.

"Ok, guys," Ginny said, taking the lead. "Basically, our task is enter Berlin, find resistance members take them from the city and bring them here. Oh and don't die. Does everyone understand?"

A couple of the wizards chuckled. Everyone nodded in understanding.

"The leader of the resistance is a Bulgarian called Viktor Krum, so it would be useful if we could locate him quite quickly," Ginny added. "Ok then, let's go."

The group apparated away only to find themselves in a war zone. All around them were collapsed buildings and within moments they were being fired upon by a great many jets of light.

"Shield charms!" yelled Harry. "Protego!" he said, raising his own shield.

"Find cover!" he heard Ginny shout from beside him, only the noise around them was so loud that it sounded as if she were a mile away.

Separating, Harry and Ginny ran across the square that they had apparated to, to take shelter behind some piles of rubble. A thick dust filled the air and Harry was struggling to see the enemy through, it. They were surprised when through the dust walked several exhausted men, none of them wearing Death Eater robes.

"Are you with the resistance?" Ginny yelled.

"Yes," one man shouted back with a thick Russian accent.

"Do you know where we can find Viktor Krum?" Ginny asked.

"I am Viktor Krum," said another of the men.

He had thick eyebrows, was tall and broadly built and distinctly round shouldered.

"Can you round up our group?" Ginny shouted. "Your attempt here is futile. Our orders are to take you back to Britain."

Viktor Krum looked ready to argue, but obviously thought better of it and gave out a signal. Ginny stepped out from behind her shelter to greet them, when five Death Eaters came through the dust firing off spells left, right and centre. The rebels and the resistance stepped into action as more Death Eaters started to arrive. Harry stood alone, his wand held high, stunning, hexing and jinxing as many Death Eaters as he could aim at. Ron was behind him covering the other direction, but unfortunately, amidst all the commotion, Harry didn't hear Ron go down. His back was uncovered.

Ginny was across the square battling with two Death Eaters on her own. Finally getting the better of them, she glanced across to see Harry unprotected with a Death Eater advancing on his back. Desperately shooting of an impediment jinx and missing by inches, Ginny ran across the square in a frantic attempt to reach Harry, but it was too late.

"Petrificus Totalus!" the Death Eater shouted, and Harry froze.

He couldn't see behind him to know what had happened, and somewhere in the distance he heard Ginny's shout.

"Harry!" she cried.

She tried to cast the counter curse, but the Death Eater detected it. He aimed a simple reducto at the damaged wall that Harry was standing beneath and Harry waited helplessly for the many heavy stones to fall on his head. He heard the noise of battle around him as he strained to see through the dust. He could hear Ginny saying something, but he didn't know what, and then, he heard nothing. He saw nothing. Only darkness.

* * *


	6. Arise, King Arthur

**QUEST FOR FREEDOM

* * *

**

_By Fire

* * *

_

**Chapter 5 Arise, King Arthur**

**

* * *

**_"Absence from whom we love is greater than death_

_And frustrate hope severer than despair"_

_William Cowper_

* * *

_"Brazil, here I come… Thanksss, amigo."_

_"Harry – yer a wizard."_

_"Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet."_

_"You could be great you know, it's all here in your head and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness…"_

_"Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"_

_"Tut, tut – fame clearly isn't everything."_

_"Wood - I've found you a seeker."_

_"We could have all been killed – or worse, expelled."_

_"I see myself holding a pair of thick, woollen socks."_

_"Only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, would commit such a crime."_

_"Yes… it's the only way… I've got to be taken."_

_"I killed your father first and he put up a courageous fight… but your mother needn't have died… she was trying to protect you…"_

_"After all, to the well organised mind, death is but the next great adventure."_

_"Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts."_

_"Leave him alone, he didn't want all that!"_

_"I must ask you not to scream."_

_"Come… come to me… let me rip you… let me tear you… let me kill you…"_

_"Enemies of the heir, beware!"_

_"You all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago – the precise date is uncertain – by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age."_

_"Dobby thought his bludger would be enough to make - "_

_"Phoenixes burst into flame when it is time for them to die and are reborn from the ashes."_

_"Riddle, do you mean you know something about these attacks?"_

_"Goodbye, friend of Hagrid."_

_"Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever."_

_"Ginny! Don't be dead! Please don't be dead!"_

_"So ends the famous Harry Potter…"_

_"Dobby has got a sock."_

With a huge gasping breath, Harry Potter's eyes flew open. The bright lights temporarily blinded him, and even when the spots had gone his vision was blurred because he was not wearing his glasses. He could tell he was in a room that was totally white, and he could make out the blurry outline of a red-headed woman leaning over him, looking at him with concern.

"Harry?" she said, anxiously, sounding as though she was speaking through several layers of very thick cloth.

But Harry found that he could not answer. Whatever it was that had shocked him awake was wearing away and he found himself being lulled back into unconsciousness.

_"A no-account, good-for-nothing, lazy scrounger who - "_

_"Harry! Simply splendid to see you, old boy - "_

_"Black is deranged, Molly, and he wants Harry dead."_

_"My dear, you have the Grim."_

_"Possibly no one's warned you, Lupin, but this class contains Neville Longbottom."_

_"Ever since Harry joined the team, I've thought the thing was in the bag."_

_"Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."_

_"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. We owe them so much."_

_"Black was tired of his double-agent role, he was ready to declare his support openly for You-Know-Who, and he seems to have planned this for the moment of the Potters' death."_

_"It's the best broom there is, Hermione."_

_"Never forget that when thirteen dine together, the first to rise will be the first to die!"_

_"The Patronus is a kind of positive force, a projection of the very things that the Dementor feeds upon – hope, happiness, the desire to survive – but it cannot feel despair, as real humans can, so the Dementors can't hurt it."_

_"YOU CHEATING SCUM!"_

_"An Animagus by the name of Peter Pettigrew."_

_"For the first time ever, I had friends, three great friends."_

_"All this time we've thought Sirius betrayed your parents, and Peter tracked him down – but it was the other way around, don't you see?"_

_"DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!"_

_"If all goes well, you will be able to save more than one innocent life tonight."_

Harry sat bolt upright in his bed in the hospital wing at Hogwarts Castle. As his eyes tried to focus he felt two strong arms pushing him back down.

"You need your rest, Harry," he heard a female voice say.

"Where am I?" he muttered, his voice hoarse due to his dry throat. "What happened? The battle?"

He tried to sit up again but the arms held him down.

"You're at Hogwarts, Harry," said the voice. "You were knocked out during the battle and hit with a pretty nasty curse afterwards. You've been unconscious for three weeks."

"What about the resistance?" Harry asked, still croaking.

He felt a goblet being pressed to his lips and something cold being trickled into his mouth. Harry drank the water eagerly.

It was Ginny who was speaking, Harry realised. "That should help your throat."

She pushed Harry's glasses onto his face and he looked around. Ginny was sitting in a chair to his left, and his dad in a chair on his right, with another empty chair next to him.

"I've sent a message to your mother," James said.

"What about the resistance?" Harry asked again. "What about our force?"

"We found all the resistance and brought them back," said Ginny. "They only lost one. All of us managed to get back. Ron was a bit worse for wear and spent a week up here, but you, well, you gave us all a bit of a fright. We thought you were dead."

Ginny gripped his hand, squeezing it tightly.

"Lily's been down in the dungeons everyday trying to brew up a potion to bring you out of it," said James. "That is until Dumbledore told us you'd wake up in your own good time."

"It was so strange," said Harry. "I kept hearing voices, saying things to me. Some I recognised and some I didn't, and even those who I recognised were saying things they've never said before. It was almost as though I was living in an alternate reality. I was at Hogwarts, as a student. My two best friends were Ron and Hermione. My parents were dead, and it was believed that Uncle Sirius betrayed them, but really it was Uncle Peter. Ginny got enchanted somehow by the Horcrux diary and set a basilisk on the Muggle-born students. And Dobby told me not to go back to Hogwarts."

Ginny and James both looked at Harry with puzzled looks.

"It was so vivid, you know," he said. "And it was real, until I woke up of course."

"I think you need to talk to Albus, Harry," said James. "There's something funny about these dreams."

* * *

Harry was deemed well enough to leave the hospital wing a month later. Unfortunately, he had been unable to speak with Dumbledore as the former Headmaster had been away putting the finishing touches to his plan to seize the sixth horcrux. 

As Harry entered the Headmaster's office the morning after he left the hospital wing, he was startled to find Dumbledore all ready to go.

"Ah, Harry," he said. "I apologise for not coming to see you in the hospital, but I am informed that you were in good hands. I'm sorry to send you on a mission so soon, but this is a matter of urgency. We must recover the sixth Horcrux. Do you think you are able?"

"Of course, Albus," said Harry.

"Excellent," said Dumbledore. "Now, see to it that Miss Weasley, Mr Weasley and Miss Granger know of the nature of this mission and bring them with us."

"No," said Harry. "I'm not putting them in danger."

"That is the interesting thing," said Dumbledore. "This Horcrux is unguarded."

Harry looked sceptical.

"I could scarcely believe it myself," said Dumbledore. "But I assure you it is true. You will find out why when we get there. Castle gates, Harry, with your friends, in one hour."

Dumbledore left the office, leaving Harry standing alone with a slightly bemused expression on his face.

* * *

One hour later, as ordered, Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione waited patiently for Dumbledore at the Hogwarts main gate. The latter three were still trying to digest the horrors of what they had just been told. 

Dumbledore arrived bang on time, and the group of five headed down to the apparition point in Hogsmeade.

"Where are we going, Albus?" Harry asked, breaking the silence.

"We are going to apparate to a place called Cadbury Castle," said Dumbledore. "It is now only a ruin, and covered by woodland so we should not be seen."

"But I can't apparate," said Hermione.

"Mr Weasley will take you by side-along-apparition," said Dumbledore. "Ah, here we are."

They had reached the Three Broomsticks, and in moments they all vanished. They arrived at Cadbury Castle seconds later and found themselves in dense woodland.

"This way," said Dumbledore, as he began to lead the way through the trees.

After only a few minutes of walking they came to a small clearing. After a quick look around, it was obvious why this place was devoid of trees. They were at the centre of the castle, where the stone floor still remained, so no tree could go. But the curious thing was a large rock in the centre of the clearing, with a sword sheathed inside.

"The sword of Godric Gryffindor," Harry breathed. "But how do we get it out?"

"A spell?" suggested Ginny.

"Alas, no," said Dumbledore. "I have tried many and none have worked."

"We could try using a potion to melt the rock," said Ron.

"Do you know of such a potion?" Dumbledore asked.

Ron shook his head.

"Just pull it out," said Hermione. "Just like Arthur did."

Ron, Ginny and Harry looked confused, but Dumbledore smiled.

"That is exactly what we will do," said Dumbledore.

He gripped both hands around the handle and pulled, but nothing happened.

"Miss Weasley," Dumbledore said.

Ginny, still looking confused, stepped forward and attempted to pull the sword from the stone, but again, nothing happened.

"Miss Granger," said Dumbledore.

Hermione tried, but the sword stayed put.

"Mr Weasley," said Dumbledore again.

Ron stepped forward to try, but still the sword would not budge.

"Harry," said Dumbledore.

Harry placed both hands on the handle, gripped tightly, and drew the sword from the stone with ease.

The three young spectators gasped, but Dumbledore did not look surprised.

"Read it," said Dumbledore.

Harry looked at the writing on the blade.

"Godric Gryffindor," he said.

"There is something else," said Dumbledore. "On the handle."

Harry looked, and in very tiny writing he saw the word,

"Excalibur," he said.

"Oh!" exclaimed Hermione.

The others all looked at her and watched as she did the most extraordinary thing. She knelt to Harry, and even more surprisingly, Dumbledore followed suit.

"You know what this means, Miss Granger?" said Dumbledore.

"Yes," said Hermione. "Excalibur was the sword of King Arthur, but I don't understand why it's here."

"I will explain later," said Dumbledore. "But first, Harry, the spell."

Harry cast the spell to remove the fragment of Voldemort's soul from the sword.

"It is time to return to Hogwarts," said Dumbledore.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were seated in Dumbledore's office waiting for the old man to explain to them what was going on. Dumbledore gazed at them for a moment, while Harry absentmindedly fiddled with the handle of the sword. 

"What can you tell me about Arthurian Legend, Miss Granger?" Dumbledore asked.

"Er, not all that much," said Hermione. "It starts off with Merlin the magician putting Excalibur into a stone and declaring that whoever can remove it shall be King. Arthur was the one who did, and so he became king. He led a group of knights called the Knights of the Round Table and they were based at a place called Camelot. There was Lancelot, Gawain, Mordred, Bedivere and several others. Arthur's wife was called Guinevere and she had an affair with Lancelot. Mordred launched a rebellion against the king and in the battle, Mordred was killed but not before he mortally wounded Arthur. The dying king also entrusted Sir Bedivere to go and return his sword to the lake, and after lying about it twice, Bedivere finally did as he was told and Excalibur was taken by its protector the Lady of the Lake. There is also the suggestion that Arthur and his knights conducted a search for the Holy Grail: the cup that caught the blood of Christ at the crucifixion. But what I don't understand is how this all fits in with the Wizarding World."

"That is what I have been researching for the past few weeks," said Dumbledore. "I first came across Arthurian legend after I found the sword Horcrux, and after some research I discovered that all the Horcruxes have been discovered in places integral to the story of King Arthur. First, the ring at Little Hangleton, which is close to Glastonbury, the location of Arthur's grave. Then there was the cup of Helga Hufflepuff found at Alderley Edge, where Arthur and his knights are believed to slumber in a cave. We found the fake locket at Merlin's Cave, and a tiara belonging to Rowena Ravenclaw at Arthur's Seat near Edinburgh. The diary was, of course, and Malfoy Manor, which contains in its grounds the Tristan Stone, and finally, the sword of Godric Gryffindor was found at Cadbury Castle, believed to be the legendary Camelot.

"I was surprised when I discovered this. My thoughts dwelled on why Voldemort would hide his precious Horcruxes at locations significant only in a Muggle legend when he himself is a self-confessed Muggle-hater. It was only after I delved deeper into the past that I discovered the truth.

"I don't think it will surprise you, now, that Godric Gryffindor was indeed King Arthur, the owner of Excalibur. His Queen, Guinevere, was Rowena Ravenclaw, hence the tiara. Mordred was, unsurprisingly, Salazar Slytherin, but I was unsure of the Arthurian identity of Helga Hufflepuff. She was certainly not Morgan La Fay, Morgause or Anna, and certainly not the mother of Arthur. It was then that it hit me. Hufflepuff was the Lady of the Lake, and the lake is our very own lake here at Hogwarts, and the castle is in fact the home of Sir Lancelot. Of the identity of Lancelot, I am not sure, but I have traced back my own family line to find Merlin to be one of my ancestors.

"But still, I was troubled. Why would Voldemort leave the sword unprotected? Surely it could be easily removed. But Voldemort was even cleverer than I thought. Because of his great interest in Hogwarts and its founders, he had researched all he could and discovered the very enchantments that Merlin had used all those years ago. So he knew that nobody other than King Arthur would be able to remove that sword and knowing that Gryffindor was dead, well, he felt safe enough to assume that the sword would be protected forever. But something, at some point in his research, had escaped his attention. The markings in the church at Glastonbury, the burial place of Arthur, say: _Here lieth Arthur, once and future King_.

"In other words, there would one day be another King Arthur."

"What has this got to do with us?" Harry asked.

"Everything," said Dumbledore. "Harry, you pulled Excalibur from the stone. You are the new King Arthur. Your coming together with Miss Weasley is no coincidence. Her name, Ginevra, is Italian, meaning fair one. It is the Italian for Guinevere. It's one great puzzle and the pieces are fitting together once more. Voldemort is a descendant of Sir Mordred. I am a descendant of Merlin. And unless I am mistaken, the new Tristan and Iseult will be somewhere in our midst."

"Who were Tristan and Iseult?" asked Hermione. "I've never heard of them."

"Tristan was sent to retrieve the bride of King Mark of Cornwall, only the two were fed a love potion, and continued an affair in secret. In legend, they are lovers second only to Lancelot and Guinevere. And when Tristan died, Iseult died a few months later of a broken heart."

"Merope," whispered Harry.

"Quite," said Dumbledore. "We have found ourselves in the middle of a legend that is well over a thousand years old."

* * *

"Ginny, I just don't think it is wise for us to be together," said Harry, later that evening. "I'm putting you in danger." 

"I am already in danger!" exclaimed Ginny. "Ever since I was old enough to hold a wand, I have been trained to fight, trained to lead the Southern rebellion. It was always my job. Being with you makes it no worse for me."

"It doesn't make it better," said Harry, quietly.

"How can you say that!" shouted Ginny, her cheeks pink with anger. "How can you say that, when I have never been so happy in my whole life as I am now I'm with you? Ask yourself, Harry, when was the last time you were truly happy?"

"I don't know," said Harry.

"I do," said Ginny. "It was when you were young, innocent. Too young to know what your future would hold, too young to understand the horrors you would grow to face. In our world happiness doesn't exist, and yet, somehow, we've managed to find it. Are you just going to throw it away?"

"I'm just trying to do what's best for you," Harry said, his eyes begging Ginny to understand.

"How is breaking up with me best for me?" Ginny asked. "Harry, you have given me control of the entire rebellion army, and the only reason that we will all be going out to fight is to keep the Death Eaters at bay long enough for you to fight Voldemort, and you know as well as I do that we don't have enough people to fight, we don't have the power or the strength to win. You know that we'll be walking out there to our death. And you know what, Harry? If I die, and you know that you didn't spend my last few days with me, all you will feel will be regret. How do I know? I know because that's how I would feel if it were the other way around. When you lay in that bed, unconscious for weeks, I felt as though I was dying. I didn't know what I'd do if you died, and I am not going to let you walk away from me now. I love you too much for that."

"I love you, too, Ginny," said Harry sadly. "More than you know. That's why I have to do this."

Harry turned away from Ginny, trying to stop the tears from spilling from his eyes and left the room. He walked down the corridor to the exit of the old staff quarters but stopped when he heard voices in his parents' room.

"…a try, Remus," his mother was saying. "You both owe it to yourselves."

"It's not that simple, Lily," said Remus. "She's ten years younger than me for a start, and I can't ask her to put up with the transformations each month. Not to mention the fact that we're at war, and the chances of dying are much higher than the chances of surviving."

"You can't let the war stop you," said Lily. "That's how Voldemort wins. He destroys people's spirit. You and Tonks shouldn't let fear stand in your way. Look at me and James. Look at Harry and Ginny. Haven't you noticed how different Harry has been since she came into his life?"

"You couldn't not notice," said Remus. "After Susan, and then Neville died, he's been slowly retreating into a shell."

"I was so worried," said Lily. "James and I had no idea what to say or what to do. Albus was never around and Harry had nobody. And then Ginny came. You know, when a mother gives birth, she always knows deep down that nobody will ever be good enough for their child, but you know what? I can safely say that I was wrong. Ginny is perfect for Harry and he's a fool if he ever lets her go. He's been stronger since he met her – filled with a power far greater than the hope for revenge. The strength that love gives is far greater than anything else. And that's why Voldemort won't win. Because Harry has something he doesn't, and that will tip the balance. As long as Ginny is by his side, nothing else matters. You can have that too, Remus. You just have to be prepared to risk a little."

"Maybe you're right, Lily," said Remus, thoughtfully. "I'll go and talk to her."

Harry ducked into the shadows as Remus left the room. He was about to sneak out when he heard his mother say,

"Harry. Don't think I don't know you were standing outside listening."

Harry turned around and looked at Lily guiltily.

"I hope you took what I said to heart," she said. "You can't let her go now."

"I'm scared," said Harry. "I'm scared of dying, of leaving her. I'm scared that she'll die and I'll be left alone."

"Don't be scared, Harry," said Lily. "After what you discovered today it is clear your destiny lies far beyond this battle with Voldemort. You are destined to become a great leader, a champion of the people. A hero."

She paused for a moment.

"But even the best hero deserves some happiness," she added, quietly.

Harry nodded slowly and headed back to Ginny's room. He flung open the door to find Ginny slumped on the sofa with her head in her hands. She looked up when Harry entered and he noticed that she had been crying. Harry strode forward and swept her up in his arms.

"I'm such an idiot," he whispered in her ear. "I'm so sorry."

Brushing aside her hair, he kissed her gently. After a moment he pulled away and looked at her for a moment.

"What?" Ginny asked, squirming a little under his gaze.

"Marry me," said Harry.

* * *


	7. Day of Reckoning

**QUEST FOR FREEDOM

* * *

**

_By Fire

* * *

_

**Chapter 6 Day of Reckoning**

* * *

_"I hold it true, whate'er befall;_

_I feel it, when I sorrow most;_

_'Tis better to have loved and lost_

_Than never to have loved at all."_

_Alfred, Lord Tennyson_

* * *

_A crowded room. An electric silence. Dozens of teens clad in scarlet and gold. A silver cup. A broken glass. A smiling brunette and a dazed red-head looking on. Two people at the centre of the crowd. A first kiss. A true love born._

Harry jolted swiftly back to reality. Ginny was standing about three feet in front of him, looking at him as though he had three heads.

"What did you say?" she asked, incredulously.

"Marry me," Harry said, once again.

"Ten minutes ago you wanted to break up with me," said Ginny. "I don't understand."

"I had a chat with my mum," Harry said. "And I overheard her talking to Remus. She's right. You give me strength. You make me happy and Goddammit, I want to try and make you as happy as you make me."

He stepped towards her, took her left hand and held it between his own.

"Ginny Weasley," he said, quietly, with a small smile. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you, however long or short that might be. If I die in this war, I want you to always know how much I love you. I want the world to know how much I love you. And if by some miracle I survive, I want to grow old with you, raise a family with you, and love you forever. Will you marry me?"

Harry stopped and waited. Ginny glanced down at the floor, then lifted her face to look directly at him.

"You're crazy," she said. "This is crazy. We're in the middle of a war. People are dying everyday."

"We shouldn't let that take away what happiness we can have," said Harry. "Please Ginny."

"I know," she said. "That's what I was saying to you before. And however crazy you are, or this idea is, I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you, Harry, and yes, I will marry you."

* * *

"What's that hut for?" asked Ginny.

It was two weeks after their wedding, and Harry and Ginny were taking a walk in the grounds during the break between the day's training sessions.

"It was where the gamekeeper used to live," said Harry, not looking at the old hut.

"Used to?"

"Hagrid was killed about ten years ago," said Harry, quietly. "He bought me my owl when I was eleven, you know, Hedwig. She's a bit bored though. There's not been much use for post owls recently."

Ginny grabbed is hand and squeezed it.

"It's going to get better," she said. "We just have to keep…"

"Hey, Potter!" someone shouted to them from across the field.

"What is it, Jordan?" Harry yelled back.

"We have a visitor," said Jordan. "At the gates."

With a brief glance at Ginny, Harry set off at a run with his wife close behind him. He reached the gates barely two minutes later to find himself face to face with a young man about his age. One of the rebels there handed him two wands which belonged to the stranger. He opened the gate slightly to allow himself and one of his men, Wood, through it.

"Ginny," he said, turning around. "Will you send for Albus?"

He turned back to the newcomer.

"What can we do for you?" Harry asked.

"I'm Seamus Finnegan," the man said with a distinct Irish accent. "And I want to join you."

"Why now?" asked Harry. "Why not months ago, or even years ago?"

"Me mother died recently," said Seamus. "She'd been very ill for some time, cancer you see. Her immune system was crippled, or so the doctors said, so she just couldn't fight the pneumonia."

"I'm sorry," said Harry. "But I'm curious. Why couldn't you have treated her magically?"

"We've been living as muggles for years," explained Seamus. "Me dad's a muggle and me mum was terrified of You-Know-Who."

"You are trained in magic, though, aren't you?" Wood asked.

"Of course," said Seamus. "I wanted to come when I was seventeen, but I had to stay and look after Mum."

"I see," said Harry, pausing briefly. "Left forearm please."

Dutifully, Seamus pulled up the sleeve of his left arm to reveal bare skin. Wood waved his wand across it and nodded to Harry.

"He's clear of the mark," Wood said.

"Ok, then," said Harry. "It's just something we have to check, I'm afraid. Wood. Take him to Dumbledore."

Harry handed the wands to Wood, turned around and pushed open the gate allowing the three of them through and found himself face-to-face with his parents.

"Where're you…"

"We can't talk now, Harry," said Lily, hurriedly.

"Peter knows where we are if anything happens," said James.

The two of them rushed away down the path towards Hogsmeade. Harry closed the gate behind him and felt Ginny's hand grip his.

"Don't worry," she said. "I'm sure they'll be fine."

* * *

The serenity of Harry's evening with Ron, Hermione and Ginny was broken by the arrival of a phoenix patronus.

"It's a message from Dumbledore," said Harry. "He wants me to go to his office immediately."

"Should I go with you?" Ginny asked.

"No," said Harry. "He says to go alone."

Harry kissed Ginny lightly on the mouth before standing up and living the room. He made his way quickly through the corridors contemplating what Dumbledore might want. He was only a short way from the office when he heard voices calling to him from behind. He turned around to see Remus Lupin and Sirius Black hurrying towards him.

"Where are you going, Harry?" Lupin asked with a look of concern on his face.

"Dumbledore's office," said Harry. "Why?"

"It seems as though you got the message as well then," said Sirius, his features not their usual cheerful selves.

A grave look crossed Harry's face as he realised what news Dumbledore was most likely to share.

"You don't think…" he said.

"I sincerely hope not," said Lupin.

The three men made their way to the gargoyle statue together.

"Sugar quill," said Harry, and the gargoyle moved to allow them to the staircase that led to the old Headmaster's office.

Sirius knocked on the door and a weary voice from the other side muttered,

"Enter."

Sirius opened the door, and they entered to find three empty chairs waiting for them.

"Please take a seat," said Dumbledore.

The three sat down.

"Thank you for coming so promptly," he continued. "Have any of you seen Peter? I sent him a message, but it returned to me moments ago, unanswered."

"No," said Lupin. "I haven't seen him since this morning, come to think of it."

"Ah well," said Dumbledore. "He will have to be told later. I'm afraid I have some terrible news. Lily and James went out on a mission earlier today to spy on the activity at the main Death Eater camp as it appears they are preparing to move. As is procedure, they watched from a distance and did not attempt to engage the Death Eaters in any way. It appears they were ambushed. Both were killed in the battle that followed. I am very sorry."

"How?" said Sirius. "How could the Death Eaters have known they were there?"

"It is my guess that someone in our ranks has turned spy for Voldemort and informed him of Lily and James' position," said Dumbledore.

"What about that new kid, Finnegan?" Lupin suggested. "He looks a bit shifty."

"No," said Harry, his face pale and his voice wavering. "It was Peter."

"Absolutely not," said Lupin.

"Think about it, Moony," said Harry. "When I saw Mum and Dad leaving they told me that Peter knew where they were going. Albus can't find Peter and nobody has seen him since this morning."

"I think you're right, Harry," said Sirius. "But why now? He could have turned them, or us, over months ago."

"A good question, Sirius," said Dumbledore. "But I believe it is quite simple. Voldemort has needed Peter to extract as much information from our camp as possible. It seems as though he has decided that he now knows enough, and has withdrawn the traitor from our midst. I fear an attack is imminent."

* * *

Two days later, Harry, Remus and Sirius spent a few hours preparing a memorial garden for James and Lily. After requesting that they wanted to do it alone, Ginny found herself at a loose end. Training sessions had been cancelled for the afternoon, as a sign of respect, and so she wandered the grounds alone, until she came across her brother Ron, who was behaving rather peculiarly. Ginny walked up behind him and gazed at him for a moment.

"What are you doing, Ron?" she asked.

Ron jumped up and whirled around.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack, Ginny!" he exclaimed, angrily. "And it's none of your business what I'm doing."

His ears turned red as he sat down behind a bush again.

"I see," said Ginny, her mouth twisting into a wicked smile. "So, it wouldn't have anything to do with Hermione and the fact that Krum invited her for a picnic."

Ron glowered at Ginny. He opened his mouth to speak, then changed his mind and shut it again.

"I love the goldfish impression," Ginny said. "Which I suppose means that I'm right."

"He has no right," said Ron, his temper flaring up. "He comes waltzing in here being all European and stuff, and decides he can steal my Hermione."

Ginny laughed.

"Don't let her hear you say that. Remember, women are not a possession. Besides, I'm pretty sure that you haven't even bothered to make your move yet."

"I didn't know how," said Ron. "Every time I tried I got all tongue-tied and ended up sounding like an idiot. And now Krum's asked her out I've got no chance."

Ginny smiled.

"Don't say that. You've got to stay positive."

"Oh, come on, Ginny. Like she's going to choose me, a lanky red-haired idiot, over Krum, super-warrior!"

Ginny laughed again.

"She likes _you_, Ron. She's just got it into her head that you don't feel the same because you've not asked her out yet. So ask her out. Soon. Harry said that Dumbledore reckons an attack is imminent, so you've got no time to waste. You don't want to regret not asking her for the rest of your life, do you?"

"Well no, but have you seen them?" said Ron, sounding slightly stricken. "She looks so happy."

"Just go for it, Ron," said Ginny. "Otherwise you'll spend the rest of your life kicking yourself, or at least I'll be kicking you, if you don't. Look at…"

Ginny broke off as the two siblings heard footsteps from behind them. Ginny turned around to see Albus Dumbledore approaching.

"I'm terribly sorry to interrupt," he said. "But I was rather hoping to find you today, Mrs Potter."

Ginny looked confused for a moment, before realising that Dumbledore was speaking to her.

"Why?" she asked.

"I need to discuss something with you," Dumbledore said. "And I would prefer it if Harry did not know about it."

"I don't think it's a good idea to keep things from him," said Ginny.

"You might think differently when you hear what I have to say," said Dumbledore. "Would you mind joining me in my office?"

"No, that's fine," said Ginny.

Dumbledore set off walking. Ginny followed him for a couple of paces before turning back to her brother.

"Remember what I said, Ron," she told him before turning back and walking behind Dumbledore to his office.

It took them about ten minutes to get there, and when they arrived, Dumbledore conjured a comfortable looking armchair for Ginny. Dumbledore sat facing her on the other side of his desk.

"Tell me of your dreams, Ginny," Dumbledore said.

"What do you mean?" asked Ginny, sounding bewildered.

"The vivid dreams," said Dumbledore. "The dreams you have of people you know, of events that have happened. They are so vivid; it is as though they are memories. But how can you remember things that have never happened? What have you dreamed Ginny?"

"I dreamt that you, and Minerva, and a giant man that I've never seen before left a baby at a place called Privet Drive. I dreamt that Voldemort rose from a cauldron whilst Harry was tied to a tombstone. I've dreamed of an underground chamber, a basilisk, a diary and me. I once dreamt that I was riding an invisible horse, but I don't know where I was going. But I don't understand. How do you know? I've never told anyone."

"I have dreamed of these things too, Ginny," explained Dumbledore. "So has Harry, but as far as I'm aware, nobody else has. I too have seen the basilisk, as has Harry, but the invisible horse is new to me."

Ginny looked thoughtful for a moment.

"It could have been a Thestral," she suggested. "It would make sense, flying and invisible. Then again, that would mean that I hadn't seen death, which just isn't possible."

"Hmm," murmured Dumbledore deep in thought. "Can you remember where you were going in the dream? And who was with you, perhaps?"

"Well, Harry was there, and Ron," she said, pausing briefly. "Hermione too, and someone called Luna Lovegood. She was one of my rebels, but she died a long time ago. And then there was a slightly chubby boy who I didn't recognise."

"It could have been Neville Longbottom," said Dumbledore. "He'd be the right age, and fits the description. Do you remember where you were going?"

Ginny thought hard for a moment.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "I remember. We were going to the Ministry of Magic to save someone. Er… it was… no… wait… erm… it was Sirius! He'd been captured or something like that, and we'd escaped the Headmistress. Wait, Headmistress?"

"Ah," said Dumbledore. "I have dreamed of her."

"And Harry called the Thestrals, well, at least the blood on his clothes did," finished Ginny.

"I see," said Dumbledore. "And how did the dream end?"

"We were in a huge underground room," said Ginny. "There were rows upon rows of shelves containing thousands of little orbs. I don't know what they were, but then we found one labelled with Harry's name, but then I woke up."

"You went to the Hall of Prophecy," said Dumbledore.

"The what?" asked Ginny.

"It is presumed fable by most," said Dumbledore. "But it is a room in the Department of Mysteries where a record of every prophecy ever made exists."

"Why would we go there?" asked Ginny.

"I have no idea," said Dumbledore.

There was a moments pause.

"Albus," asked Ginny. "Why do we have these dreams?"

"I don't know," said Dumbledore. "I can guess, but that might not altogether be accurate."

"It's the best we've got," said Ginny.

"It could be that we are all connected in some way to an event long ago," said Dumbledore. "Something significant that changed the course of time, maybe. Or perhaps it is something to do with Arthurian legend. After all, we have found the cycle repeated in our own time, perhaps we could find something in the old legends to help us."

"I could look in Library," said Ginny. "If you want. There's got to be some books on Arthur in there."

"By all means," said Dumbledore.

"Ok," said Ginny. "I just have one more question."

"Ask away," said Dumbledore.

"Why don't you want me to tell, Harry?"

"Ah. He's been through enough recently, and I fear this would only distract him further. Remember, Ginny, that he is the only one who can defeat Voldemort. Without him, we have no chance."

Ginny nodded and left the room.

* * *

Ginny didn't get to spend much time in the Library looking. In her spare time for two days she searched the shelves and found nothing. Then on the evening of the third day she finally found something promising: a book entitled _Muggle Legends in the Magical World_. Eagerly she pulled the book of the shelf, sat down at a table and began to rifle through the pages.

A horrible wailing siren was sounded, and could be heard throughout the castle. Everyone stopped what they were doing. It was early evening, so most were in their rooms or in common rooms, chatting, playing chess, or Gobstones, some had even gone to bed in dire need of an early night, but none of that mattered now.

Everyone in Hogwarts castle knew what that siren meant. Attack!

It didn't take long for the army to assemble in the Great Hall. Led by Ginny, who had raced from the Library at the moment the siren sounded, they marched through the main doors and out into the grounds. As they approached the edge of the Forbidden Forest, one of the lookouts ran to Ginny.

"They're coming through the trees," he said, breathlessly. "They've found a way to breach the wards."

"Ok," said Ginny. "Wands ready!"

She turned to Harry.

"My guess is that the Death Eaters will come through but Voldemort will hold back," she said. "You'll probably have to go looking for him."

Harry nodded.

"Keep them off me," he said.

"We'll do our best," said Ginny.

Jets of light began shooting through the trees.

"Shields!" Ginny yelled to her army, raising her own shield non-verbally.

Following their spells strode the army of Death Eaters. There were hundreds of them, all identical. The same black robes. The same masks. The rebels sprang into action and the battle began. Out of the corner of her eye, Ginny saw Harry disappearing through the melee and into the trees and she knew that the next few minutes would make all the difference between victory and doom.

The rebels were out numbered by at least five to one. They were better trained, and stronger, but in the end it made little difference. All around the rebels were falling like flies. Green jets of light criss-crossed in almost every direction, and for the first time in battle, Ginny was afraid. As the minutes passed, she moved back through the crowd towards the castle and just as her opponent fell, she looked up and was horror-struck by what she saw. A figure, a man with long silvery hair, fell from the highest tower and as he hit the ground a greasy head appeared, looking over the battlements.

"It's Dumbledore!" she heard a voice behind her shout.

"Stay focussed!" she shouted. "Impedimenta!"

The Death Eater who had been approaching to her left stopped in his tracks. She raced for the castle, for the spot where Dumbledore's body lay. Aiming a spell high up to distract the Death Eater at the top, Ginny fell to her knees at Dumbledore's side.

"Oh, Albus," she wispered.

Her eyes surveyed his body, hoping desperately, for some sign of life, but found nothing, except a scroll of parchment, clutched in his left hand. Shaking slightly, she teased the scroll from the old man's fingers, and found that there was something hard in the middle. She turned it around to see her name written on the outside.

"Ginny, look out!" she heard someone shout behind her.

She whirled around and pointed her wand at an approaching Death Eater.

"Impedimenta!" she yelled.

The Death Eater froze and Ginny scrambled to her feet, tucking the scroll into her robes she ran back into the battle.

"Stupefy!" she said, pointing her wand at a Death Eater advancing on her brother, Bill.

"REDUCTO!" yelled a nearby Death Eater aiming for the castle.

As the south wall virtually exploded, the shock wave knocked Ginny off her feet. Getting up again and stumbling on, she saw each of her rebels surrounded.

"Petrificus Totalus!" she said, flicking her wand immediately to her left to freeze a Death Eater torturing one of her Southern rebels, a young woman called Nymphadora Tonks.

Ginny bent down to help Tonks to her feet, when an almighty bang was heard in the forest. Ginny stood up, as stiff as a poker, and watched, horrified, as a column of smoke rose high above the trees.

Everyone on the battlefield stopped. The Death Eaters moved forward towards the trees, perhaps hoping for victory, or perhaps preparing to retreat. The few rebels left standing took their opportunity to retreat back towards the castle. To her left, Ginny saw Remus Lupin leaning over the body of Sirius Black who lay beside a Death Eater's mask. He had been fighting Bellatrix Lestrange when Ginny had last seen him.

And then, as she was filled with sorrow over Sirius' death, Ginny heard a sound which shook her to the core. A sound which terrified her so deeply, she wished she could not hear, for the horde of Death Eaters at the forest's edge had just erupted in a roar of triumph.

A man appeared amidst the ground, raised high on a magical plinth. His features were snakelike; his nostrils slits and his eyes red and he was cackling.

"My friends!" he exclaimed. "The rebels have irked us for many a long year. But it is over now. Their hero is dead. And we are victorious!"

Voldemort raised his wand and levitated the body of Harry Potter above his head. Ginny's hand shot to her mouth to stifle a silent cry. Distantly, she heard hurried footsteps around her, and felt someone tugging on her right arm.

"We have to go, Ginny!" a voice said, quietly but urgently.

Ginny shook her head.

"No, Moony," she said. "Harry…"

"Harry's dead, Ginny," said Lupin. "And we'll be dead soon too if we don't leave now. It's over, Ginny. We have to go!"

Reluctantly, Ginny allowed Lupin to lead her away. Joining with the twenty-or-so survivors, the rebels raced across the grounds. Through the numbness that was slowly consuming her, Ginny noticed, somewhere in her subconscious, that Lupin was leading them towards a particularly violent tree known as the Whomping Willow.

* * *


	8. Wandering Souls

**QUEST FOR FREEDOM****

* * *

**

_**By Fire****

* * *

** _

**Chapter 7 Wandering Souls**

**

* * *

**_"We'll sing to the morning_

_We'll sing 'til the bells they sound_

_We'll sing 'til the wandering soul is found"_

_from Wandering Soul by Kate Rusby_

* * *

It was a different hand that led Ginny now. Remus Lupin had moved to the back to block the tunnel as they travelled along it. Lupin had led them to the Whomping Willow where they had entered a tunnel, hidden within its trunk. The tunnel seemed endless, and Ginny had no idea where it would take them. All anyone knew was that it was their only escape. 

After a journey that seemed like an eternity, Ginny was helped out of the tunnel by her brother, Fred, and found herself standing in a run-down wooden house. One by one the survivors climbed through, until Lupin himself arrived, sealing up the tunnel for good. Looking around Ginny counted just nineteen, including herself.

"Ginny, I need to talk to you," said Lupin.

"Ok," said Ginny.

Lupin led her into another room and pulled a chair from underneath a broken table and gestured for her to sit down. From her seat, Ginny looked up at Remus and waited for him to speak.

"Do you know where we are, Ginny?" asked Lupin.

"No," said Ginny shaking her head.

"We're in the Shrieking Shack," said Lupin.

"In Hogsmeade?"

"Yes," said Lupin. "It was used as a hideaway for me, when I was a student, for when I transformed each month. Anyway, six weeks ago, James and Sirius brought supplies from the castle here to be used in an emergency."

"They knew we'd need an escape?" said Ginny.

"They meant it more as a precaution," said Lupin. "I don't think…"

"I bet Dumbledore sent them, didn't he?" said Ginny, interrupting. "After all, he knew everything, didn't he. The all wise, all powerful Dumbledore. But where is he now? Where is he when we need him?"

She was stood up now, and angry.

"Ginny, you need to calm…"

"I will not calm down!" she shouted. "He knew how strong the Death Eaters were. And he knew that Harry wouldn't win."

"Don't say that," said Lupin.

"Why not?" said Ginny. "Why would he have prepared a getaway if he thought we would win?"

"He prepared a backup, in case the worst should happen."

"He's dead, Moony! He didn't even try to fight, try to help. He sent us to the slaughter and watched as we were massacred!"

"We all knew the risks, Ginny."

"He knew that Harry wasn't ready. He could have done something; he could have gone too. He could have helped."

"Don't you think he did all he could?"

"No!" Ginny exclaimed. "If he did my husband would still be alive. There must have been something he could have done."

"Getting angry at Albus isn't going to bring Harry back," said Lupin calmly. "You have to understand that."

Tears started to flow down Ginny's face.

"I should have gone with him. I could have helped. I could…"

"You would have been killed as well," said Lupin. "Voldemort was stronger than we thought."

"It wasn't supposed to be this way, Moony," said Ginny. "What about King Arthur and Excalibur? He was supposed to be a hero, a champion of the people, but where is our champion now? Gone. Dead. He left me."

"Not by choice," said Remus. "Not by choice."

"There's always a choice!" shouted Ginny. "He could have run! Hidden away somewhere; found a new life, a new face, a new name."

"That's not who Harry was," said Lupin. "And don't forget, I've lost him too."

"I can't do it, Moony," said Ginny. "I can't carry on. What are we supposed to do now? Everything we've fought for is gone. Our whole lives are changed. What do we do?"

"We run," said Lupin. "We go far, far away, and never come back."

"I don't want to run for the rest of my life," said Ginny. "I'd rather just sit here and wait for them to kill me."

"If they find us they won't kill us," said Lupin. "They'll do worse. They'll capture us, torture us perhaps. Enslave us definitely. It will be worse than death and I don't want to suffer that. We've suffered enough."

"I can't go on without him," said Ginny. "I thought I could cope. I thought I could be strong. But I can't. I'm weak."

"You're not weak, Ginny," said Lupin. "You've just had a big shock and it hasn't had time to sink in yet. You've always been strong, and we need you to be strong now. You are our leader, and right now, we need a leader. I know you can do it. I trust you to do it. Harry believed in you. Prove him right."

Lupin pulled Ginny into a tight hug.

"You ready to face them?" he asked.

"Yes," said Ginny. "The show must go on, right?"

She pulled open the door and returned to the room where the others were gathered. Some were speaking to each other in low voices, others stood alone, contemplating in silence.

"Everyone," said Ginny. "I know that this last hour or so has been more terrible than we could possibly have imagined. And although we have all envisaged defeat, I don't think any of us believed it could actually happen. We are the only ones left. Harry is dead, so there is no way to defeat Voldemort, and even if there were, there are too few of us left to fight. Our only option is to run."

"Dumbledore had some supplies stored here several weeks ago," said Lupin. "There's some muggle money for each of us, and it will change to the currency of any country we visit. As you know, the Death Eaters will be able to track us through magic, so there is only one way we can do this. I have prepared a list of meeting places, one for each of you. We will meet up every two weeks, on a journey that will last at least six months. All you have to do is apparate. Apparate to anywhere in the world. Avoid anywhere with a high Death Eater presence though, if you can. Wherever you go use limited magic, although you might want to alter your appearance, but do it gradually so there's less magic to pick up on. When you apparate somewhere move around a bit before setting off again. Perhaps catch a train, or a plane, depart from a different place than where you arrived. You will be more difficult to track that way. I will explain more about our final destination at our first meeting, but it is time for us to leave. We have lingered here long enough."

He and Ginny distributed the money amongst the rebels and with several loud cracks they apparated away leaving five of them to wait behind.

"Hermione," said Lupin. "Are you comfortable with apparating?"

"Yes," said Hermione. "Lily taught me."

"Ok then," said Lupin.

"See you soon, Hermione," said Ginny.

"You too," said Hermione, who then apparated away.

"Take care of yourself, Ginny," said Fred, hugging his sister. "I'm sorry about Harry."

"Thank you, Fred," said Ginny. "You take care, also."

"I will," he said, then apparated with a crack.

"What are you too going to do?" asked Ginny. "Are you going to stick together, or separate for the time being?"

"We're going to separate," said Tonks. "We'd be easier to track if we stick together."

"At least you've still got each other," said Ginny.

"We're lucky," said Lupin. "Will you be ok?"

"Yes," said Ginny. "I have to be, don't I?"

"We'll see you at the first meeting," said Lupin. "And you know how to contact us, if you need to."

"I know," said Ginny.

Lupin apparated, followed almost immediately by Tonks. Once alone, Ginny thrust her hand inside her robes and pulled out Dumbledore's scroll. She noticed, as she unravelled the parchment, that whatever the hard thing was, it was no longer there. Once opened, she held the scroll out in front of her and quickly read the slanted green writing, with a feeling of disbelief slowly welling up inside her.

_Ginny,_

_The dreams we have had relate to a reality that should have been. The night the prophecy about Harry and Voldemort was made to me, someone, I don't know who, obliviated a young Death Eater called Severus Snape. This was the moment when history was diverted from the path we both saw in our dreams, to the path that we have been living ever since. You must stop that person, Ginny. It's the only chance we have to make things right. The vial that I wrapped up inside this scroll contains the potion you will need to take you back, just add one droplet of your blood, or it won't work. The attack has begun, I only hope that we're not too late._

_A.P.W.B.D_

Ginny delved her hand into her robe again, searching desperately for a potion vial that might have slipped from the scroll into her pocket. After a frantic, but thorough, search, Ginny realised with horror that the vial was gone. Her mind flashed back to a moment in the battle when she been knocked off her feet. The moment when a Death Eater cast a reducto curse and made part of the castle collapse. The moment when the potion vial, and with it the only chance to save Harry, was lost.

Rolling up the scroll and stowing it in her robes once more, Ginny apparated away, with nothing but despair for company.

* * *

Two weeks later Ginny arrived in Russia for the first meeting of the survivors. They were meeting in a place called Magadan, in Far Eastern Russia, a place at the end of a very bad road, a place where they would be difficult to find. 

In the two weeks that had passed, Ginny had visited various places. She'd been to China, to Brazil and also New Zealand, a place which she liked very much. Like many of the others, she'd taken the first step to change her appearance and had turned her hair blonde.

She arrived at the house where they were meeting to find ten of the others already there.

"Fred!" she said, hugging her brother as she entered the living room.

"How've you been, Ginny?" he asked looking concerned.

"Holding up," said Ginny. "So, where've you been?"

"Egypt," said Fred. "Then I went to Canada and made a brief appearance in France."

"That was a bit risky," said Ginny.

"Well, I figured if I could get them looking for me in France, they'd be less likely to find us all congregating here," said Fred.

"That's not a bad idea," said Ginny.

"Hi Ginny, hi Fred," said Hermione, entering from the hallway.

She and Hermione embraced before sitting down.

"How are you?" Ginny asked.

"I'm ok," said Hermione. "I'm missing Ron, and Harry, but I'm coping. What about you?"

"Coping," said Ginny. "Is there any sign of Moony yet, Fred?"

"Tonks is here," Fred answered. "She said that she's expecting him any minute."

"Ok," said Ginny.

They heard the door shut and a man walked into the living room to join them.

"We were just talking about you, Moony," said Ginny, standing up to greet him.

"Nothing good, I hope," he said.

Tonks arrived from the kitchen and greeted Lupin with a kiss.

"I missed you," she said.

"I missed you, too," Lupin replied.

Ginny glanced at Hermione and the two shared a smile.

"Everyone is here now, Moony," said Ginny. "We need to start the meeting."

"Right," said Moony.

He remained standing while everyone else took their seats.

"Welcome to Magadan," he said. "As I told you two weeks ago, I will be explaining more about our journey at this meeting to day. But first, the news. Our plan has succeeded. Voldemort has sent Death Eaters to track us, and they are falling further and further behind. Our tactics are working, but we have to be careful not to allow our movements to form patterns.

"Now," he continued. "We need to begin to form our new identities. Create a new name for yourself, a new history. Design yourself a family, and prepare a list of qualifications for your alter ego to have. You will need these to be completed by the time we arrive in Melbourne, Australia, which is where we will begin our new lives. As you may have noticed, when you arrived here today, a new address will have appeared on your parchment, replacing where we are now. This is the name of our next meeting place, in two weeks time. When the name Melbourne appears there, our journey will be complete. I would appreciate it, if by the next time we meet, you have decided on a new name, so we can get used to using them. Other than that, there is nothing else to say. I will continue to monitor the Death Eaters' progress and keep you up-to-date on how close they are."

"Moony," said Ginny. "Do you not think that eventually they will find us?"

"Possibly," said Moony. "But for the most part they are already ten days behind us. By the time we reach Australia, we will look different, act differently, we'll have new names, and we won't be using magic. They'll find it difficult to find us in the city, even if they make it there."

"Ok," said Ginny. "So at the moment it's limited magic, but by the time we reach Australia, it's no magic."

"None at all," said Lupin. "We will find jobs, and houses and integrate ourselves into muggle society. It's the only way. Oh, and on a side note, can I ask that when we have a meeting that you apparate to someplace well away from the meeting point, then travel there using muggle transport. I know most of you did that today. It just means that we can avoid having all our trackers arriving here at once, and being able to collaborate. It keeps us ahead."

With that the meeting was closed and Lupin allowed the group to trickle slowly away, in the hope of not attracting any unwanted attention.

* * *

Five months later, the whirlwind world tour by the rebel survivors was almost complete. Only one last meeting remained before their arrival in Melbourne, the final destination. Throughout the trip, both Ginny and Lupin had been attempting to keep tabs on the Death Eaters that were tracking them, and were confident that their trail was growing thin. Lupin was sure that even if the Death Eaters did track them to Melbourne, the rebels would be well enough integrated that the enemy would have a hard time finding them in the crowd. 

The final meeting was to take place in a small town in Tennessee in the USA, and as usual Ginny arrived early and by bus, so as not to attract any magical followers.

Ginny unlocked the door, and found that Hermione was already inside.

"Katrina!" said Hermione, looking as though she was glad to see a familiar face.

"Hey Andrea," said Ginny, greeting her friend.

Over the months the rebels had become used to their new alias' and were gradually getting to know the others' names.

"Are we the first here?" Ginny asked.

"No," said Hermione. "Jess is already here, which means that Steve is no doubt keeping watch on the outside."

Right on cue, Tonks, now a curly-haired blonde, entered from another room.

"Did I hear my name?" she asked.

"Yes," said Ginny. "It's good to see you again, Jess."

"You too, Kat," said Jess. "Been anywhere interesting lately?"

"Tanzania," said Ginny. "I went to see Kilimanjaro."

"Impressive?" asked Hermione.

"Spectacular," said Ginny. "So what about you guys?"

"I went to watch the sea lions at 'Loro Parque' in Tenerife," said Hermione.

"I spent three nights in a yurt in Mongolia," said Tonks. "And it snowed! Can you believe it?"

The door opened again and in walked Fred closely followed by Seamus Finnegan.

"Sam!" said Ginny, hugging her brother. "And Joe! I didn't expect to see you two arriving together."

"We ended up on the same train," said Fred. "Joe got on a couple of hours ago, but I was there all night."

"I bet that was uncomfortable," said Hermione.

"Tell me about it," said Fred. "I tell you, the sooner this journey ends, the better."

"I have good news then," said Ginny. "Check your destination paper."

Fred pulled the parchment from his jeans pocket.

"Four-fifty-nine Hampton Street, Melbourne, Australia," he read. "Finally."

"So, any sign of Steve yet?" asked Seamus.

"He's outside watching the arrivals," said Tonks.

"Invisible again?" said Fred. "And he's the one getting to us about using magic."

"He's doing an important job, Sam," said Ginny.

"I suppose so, Kat, but he's just strengthening the magical trail," said Fred.

"Yeah," said Ginny. "But it's only one invisibility spell twice a month. It's hardly an Unforgiveable everyday, is it?"

"She's got a point," said Tonks. "It'll barely register on the magical radar, not to mention how short a time it's actually being used."

"You're right, I guess," said Fred. "It's not that I'm blaming him, it's just hard living without magic and I suppose I'm a little bit jealous."

"We'll just have to get used to the magic free existence," said Seamus.

"Which for Hermione won't exactly be difficult," said Tonks, with a slight smile.

"Hey!" exclaimed Hermione. "I've been in this for a year now, and I'm as much a witch as you are!"

"I know," said Tonks. "I'm only teasing. You're a bloody good witch, and you know it."

She paused and sighed loudly.

"It's such a shame to see such magical talent go to waste," she said, sadly.

"It's just one more thing to add to the list of everything Voldemort has taken from us," said Ginny.

More rebels had been arriving and as Ginny finished her sentence Remus Lupin entered the room.

"Hey Steve!" Ginny was the first to greet him.

"Good to see you, Katrina," he said, fairly jovially. "Everything is in order, I trust."

"Yes," she replied. "We're on the home straight now."

Lupin smiled sadly.

"I'm afraid that we'll most likely never see home again," he said. "Ok, everyone. I don't have much to say today. We arrive in Melbourne for a meeting in two weeks time, until then I want to continue in the same vein as always. Apparating to various places and so forth. It would be best if no one apparates into Australia. Arrive by plane, or by boat from all over the world. I honestly don't care where, just don't make life any easier for the Death Eaters who are following us. They are still out there, and are reluctant to give up the chase, so you must still be on the alert. That's it for today, so unless Katrina wants to add anything we can be on our way again."

"I'd just like to say," said Ginny, "how proud I am of everyone. We've had a really tough time these last few months, physically and emotionally, and I'm so proud of the way everyone has risen to the challenge. You're a credit to the people who trained you, to Dumbledore and to Harry, and I know they'd both be equally proud to stand here before you today, and far more worthy than I am. Thank you for being strong."

The rebels applauded Ginny's words, and Lupin slipped a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"It's been tough, Katrina," he said. "But a new life awaits us. We just have to seize the opportunity, and move on from the horrors of our pasts."

* * *

Over a year and a half later, Katrina Lewis was re-stocking the clothes racks at the designer store where she worked in Melbourne. She had found the job there not long after her arrival in Australia and she had quickly fit in and made many new friends. Although she was still in contact with her old companions, Andrea Johnson, Sam Patterson, Joe Walters and Steve and Jess Yorkman, their meetings were few and far between as all felt that if they were being tracked, they didn't want to make it too easy for the Death Eaters to find them all. 

However much she tried to push it from her mind, Katrina often thought about her old life. She missed Harry dearly, and not a day went by that she didn't wish he was still alive. But the thought that troubled her most was that she had lost the chance to set things right. Dumbledore's note had been enough to make her believe that what happened that day was not supposed to happen, and the more she thought about it, the more Katrina knew it made sense.

The Arthurian legend upon which she and her friends had stumbled made it clear that Harry was supposed to be the leader, the King, and to Katrina at least, that meant he was supposed to survive. Many a night had passed where Katrina rolled around sleeplessly, half formed plans of finding the potion running through her mind. But she knew it was no use. She didn't know how to make the potion, and to find the books and ingredients need she would have to venture into Australia's magical community, which she couldn't do for two reasons: the first was that she had no idea where the entrance to their secret dwellings was, and the second was that even if she could find the entrance, she would never go through it, because that was risking exposure.

Katrina sighed as she wheeled an empty transport rack back to the storeroom. She could hear the store's PA system playing some music in the background, and though most of the time she usually ignored it, the words of the chorus caught her attention.

_"Welcome to wherever you are,_

_This is your life,_

_You've made it this far,_

_Welcome,_

_You've got to believe_

_That right here right now,_

_You're exactly where you're supposed to be,_

_Welcome_

_To wherever you are."_

Katrina stopped moving and sank down into a heap on the floor. The song was wrong. She wasn't supposed to be here. Harry was supposed to be alive. Voldemort was supposed to be dead. She was a witch. She was supposed to do magic, she wasn't supposed to be a muggle hiding in a foreign land. Angry tears fell from her eyes and she brushed them away hurriedly.

"Katrina?" said one of her colleagues, noticing her distress. "What is it?"

The other woman crouched down beside her.

"It's nothing, Hannah," Katrina said. "It's just this song. The words just reminded me of something I wanted to forget."

"What did you want to forget?" Hannah asked curiously.

Katrina sighed.

"My husband, Leo," she said. "He died two years ago. I guess I've believed that it wasn't supposed to happen, and the song just got to me, you know?"

"I think I understand," said Hannah. "But I didn't know that you were married."

"I've not told anyone before," explained Katrina. "It's just too painful, and besides, I came here to make a fresh start."

"Katrina!" called a voice from the storeroom.

"What is it, Margaret?" Katrina asked.

"Phone call for you," replied Margaret.

Katrina stood up and entered the storeroom.

"Did they say who it was?" asked Katrina, puzzled at who might be calling her at work.

"She says her name is Andrea," said Margaret handing the phone to Katrina.

Katrina smiled and took the receiver from her colleague.

"Katrina speaking," she said.

"Hey Katrina," said a familiar voice. "It's Andrea. I'm in town today and I wondered if you would like to have lunch with me."

"That's sounds great," said Katrina. "My lunch break starts in about half an hour, so do you want to meet me out front?"

"That's fine," said Andrea. "I'll see you then."

She hung up. Katrina replaced the phone on the hook and left the storeroom.

"I'm going to go and check the Prada stock," she told Margaret, and left.

Her mind was whirling. It was unusual for Andrea to call her, much less to invite her to spend time with her in public. It was risky. Katrina was concerned. Something was up, she just hoped it was good news not bad news, though knowing how her life had progressed so far, she wasn't taking any chances.

* * *

Half an hour later, Katrina met her friend Andrea outside the main entrance to the store. The two women embraced and set off for a café in the centre of the shopping district. 

"So," said Katrina, as once they'd ordered their food. "What's up?"

"Nothing," said Andrea, shiftily. "Why would you think that?"

"Because you hardly ever call me," said Katrina. "Let alone meet me. Something's up."

"Oh, alright," said Andrea. "I did want to talk to you about something."

"Spill," said Katrina, taking a sip of her coffee, which the waiter had just brought to the table.

"It's about Ivan and me," Andrea said. "You know he always liked me, even before, well you know."

Katrina nodded, knowing exactly what 'you know' meant.

"And well," Andrea continued. "We always got on well together, it was just that back then I always liked Chris, and I only even had that date with Ivan because I thought Chris didn't like me."

"That's what I told Chris," said Katrina. "What else do you think made him finally tell you how he felt?"

"Well, I guessed as much," said Andrea. "The trouble is that after Chris died, and we came here, well I've been seeing Ivan again. It started out just friendly and casual, but then it got far more serious until yesterday, when he asked me to marry him."

Katrina swallowed a large mouthful of hot coffee too quickly, and coughed, feeling her throat burn.

"What did you say?" Katrina asked, recovering.

"I said I'd think about it," said Andrea. "I never expected him to ask me. I know we've been spending more time together lately, and it has got more serious, but I'm not ready, Katrina. I like Ivan, of course I do, but I'm still in love with Chris, and I just can't do it, not yet, but at the same time I don't want to lose him."

She seemed close to tears. Katrina, on the other hand, looked thoughtful.

"There's no need to get upset," she said. "Ivan knows about you and Chris, right? So all you have to do is tell him, that even though you like him a lot, and you still want to be with him, it's just too soon for you to make that kind of commitment. Be honest with him. Tell him you still think about Chris, and you don't want to rush into anything."

"What if he gets angry?" asked Andrea.

"Then he's not worth the effort," said Katrina at once.

"I wish it could be easy," said Andrea. "Like it was for you and Leo. You knew exactly what you wanted and went for it, all pistons firing."

For the first time, a wave of sadness crossed Katrina's face.

"Nothing is easy anymore," said Katrina, quietly.

"Well, hello there ladies," came a voice to Katrina's right.

She looked up to see Sam Patterson, another member of their former rebellion staring down at them.

"I didn't expect to find you here," Sam continued.

"And why's that?" asked Katrina with a slight smile.

"I assumed you'd be hiding away," said Sam, his lips curling into a sinister smile. "People like me are out to get you."

As he said it, he reached out and grabbed Andrea, pulling her from her seat. Sam drew a wand from his pocket and pointed it to Hermione's throat.

"Fred!" exclaimed Ginny, abandoning all pretences. "What do you think you are doing?"

"No," said the man. "Not Fred."

His appearance changed before their eyes as the Polyjuice Potion wore off. Ginny found herself looking into the eyes of Lucius Malfoy, a Death Eater.

"Let her go!" demanded Ginny, wishing she still carried her wand with her.

"I wouldn't dream of it," said Malfoy, flicking his wand, and Hermione vanished instantaneously.

Malfoy lunged across the table at Ginny who turned and fled. At full pelt she raced through the streets of Melbourne until she arrived at her flat. Apparating inside, she located her wand instantly and apparated away to the only place she could think to go: Remus Lupin's home.

As she arrived, she opened her eyes slowly, praying that it wasn't too late. She knew it was a good bet that the Death Eaters had already taken her brother, and so there was a good chance they had Lupin and Tonks too, and as she looked around her worst fears were confirmed. Furniture was overturned, and there were stains on the floor, indicating that a struggle had taken place. As Ginny glanced behind her, she saw the scars of wayward spells, and knew that this was the end.

She had always thought it was a bad idea to have everyone relocate to the same place. Lupin had argued that it would everyone easier to contact if they got wind of Death Eaters approaching, so that the rebels could meet and quickly escape, but as Ginny had feared, the Death Eaters had probably watched them all from a distance then made their move simultaneously, so there was no way of warning the others. Ginny heard voices on the stairs outside, but before she could apparate away the door had opened and she was immobilised. One of the Death Eaters who had entered waved his wand across her, changing her blonde hair to red and her green eyes to brown, so she looked once again as she always did.

"Ginny Weasley," said another Death Eater.

This one had removed his hood, and Ginny recognised the greasy hair from the battlefield two years ago. This was the Death Eater who had killed Albus Dumbledore. Watching them, Ginny knew she would have been shaking with anger had she not been immobilised.

"You have been our greatest prize," the Death Eater continued. "The rebel most coveted. You of course led the rebellion in the South for several years, before leading the combined army into battle. But the Dark Lord wants you for another reason. He is desperate to be the one to enslave Potter's whore."

The Death Eater smirked and another chuckled. Ginny felt invisible bonds encircle her arms and her legs and at that moment the immobilisation was lifted.

"You're wrong!" she said angrily. "I may have led the Southern rebels, and I may have led our noble army into battle, which was my right. But I am no whore. Potter's I might have been, but not his whore. Potter's wife."

She let the last word ring, and two of the Death Eaters, including the one who had spoken, looked at each other with concern.

"She must be lying," said the hooded one at once.

"Why?" asked the greasy-haired one. "What could she gain by it?"

"Perhaps she knows the law," said the first.

"I doubt it," said Greasy. "The law is known to very few. This will trouble the Dark Lord greatly. I will take her to him."

As the Death Eater stepped up to her and grasped her arm ready to apparate, Ginny felt, not afraid, but uneasy. She did not know the law of which they spoke, but she was astute enough to know that her marriage might just have saved her from some horrible punishment that Voldemort had planned.

* * *


End file.
